Matheesha Pathirana
Death-overs specialist. Yorker accuracy is the highest in the squad. Captain pick on death-friendly wickets.
Chennai Super Kings squad update: likely XI for tonight.
Ruturaj Gaikwad returns from a one-match absence. Devon Conway opens. Pathirana holds the death slot. Full likely XI and fantasy implications below.
Likely XI for tonight
Chennai Super Kings welcome back captain Ruturaj Gaikwad from a one-match absence. Devon Conway opens. Pathirana holds the death-overs slot. Ajinkya Rahane drops out of the XI. The likely XI:
- Devon Conway
- Ruturaj Gaikwad (c)
- Shivam Dube
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Ajay Mandal
- Sameer Rizvi
- MS Dhoni (wk)
- Deepak Chahar
- Tushar Deshpande
- Matheesha Pathirana
Impact player
Chennai have used the Impact Player rule in 8 of 11 matches. The most-used Impact Player is Sameer Rizvi - a top-order batter who has been rotated in for an overseas bowler depending on the venue.
Form watch
Top performers - last 5 matches
| Player | Avg FP/match | Last 5 form |
|---|---|---|
| Matheesha Pathirana | 71 | 68, 80, 62, 74, 72 |
| Shivam Dube | 62 | 58, 70, 56, 60, 65 |
| Devon Conway | 54 | 48, 60, 52, 49, 60 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 68 | 62, 70, 71, 65, 72 |
| Deepak Chahar | 52 | 48, 55, 60, 49, 51 |
| Ruturaj Gaikwad | 61 | DNP, 65, 58, 60, 60 |
Fantasy implications
Ravindra Jadeja
Allrounder form is excellent. Differential captain at 9% ownership on the right match-ups.
Devon Conway
Top-order consistency. Floor is high; ceiling depends on batting order.
Sameer Rizvi
Impact player. Ceiling is high as a promoted batter in the middle overs.
Spin attack
How three spinners shape the XI.
Chennai's squad is built around three frontline spinners - Jadeja, Theekshana, and (in selected matches) a third spinning option. The trio gives the captain the flexibility to bowl spin in any phase of the innings.
Theekshana
The off-spinner who opens the bowling. Economy 6.2 in the powerplay across IPL 2025. Wickets against right-handers are his primary wicket-taking avenue.
Jadeja + Theekshana
The middle-overs spin pairing. Jadeja bowls in the 7th-15th over range, with Theekshana operating in tandem. Combined economy in middle overs: 6.7.
Deepak Chahar
The seam-bowling allrounder who opens the bowling with the new ball. Swing in the powerplay is his primary wicket-taking avenue.
Pathirana + Chahar
The death-overs pairing. Pathirana takes the 18th and 20th; Chahar takes the 16th and 19th. Pathirana's yorkers complement Chahar's slower balls.
Batting depth
Why the top-order is the platform.
Chennai's batting lineup is built around two experienced openers - Conway and Gaikwad - and the ever-present Dhoni at number seven. The middle order - Jadeja, Dube, Rizvi - is built for specific match-ups rather than for consistent batting position.
Batting depth - role clarity
| Position | Player | Role | Role clarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Devon Conway | Anchor / powerplay accumulator | 5 / 5 |
| 2 | Ruturaj Gaikwad | Anchor / captain | 5 / 5 |
| 3 | Shivam Dube | Versus spin power hitter | 4 / 5 |
| 4 | Ravindra Jadeja | Versus pace accumulator / spinner | 4 / 5 |
| 5 | Ajay Mandal | Middle overs accumulator | 3 / 5 |
| 6 | Sameer Rizvi | Versus spin accumulator | 3 / 5 |
| 7 | MS Dhoni | Death-overs finisher / wicketkeeper | 5 / 5 |
Fantasy implications
What this means for your fantasy XI.
Chennai's batting order has moderate role clarity - the top three and Dhoni are stable, but positions 4-6 shift based on match-ups. That makes their middle-order players more variable fantasy picks.
Conway + Gaikwad as anchors
Both openers have role clarity of 5/5. They are reliable anchor picks - high floor, moderate ceiling.
Jadeja as differential captain
Jadeja's role clarity of 4/5 plus his allrounder role make him a strong differential captain pick when match-ups favour him.
Pathirana as bowler pick
Pathirana's death-overs role is one of the most reliable in the league. Death-overs wickets and economy bonuses compound over a full season.
Squad depth chart
Full Chennai Super Kings depth chart.
A complete depth chart showing every squad member and their likely role in the XI. Updated after the latest team-news.
Chennai Super Kings depth chart
| Position | First choice | Backup | Backup 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opener 1 | Devon Conway | Ajay Mandal | - |
| Opener 2 | Ruturaj Gaikwad (c) | Ajay Mandal | - |
| Number 3 | Shivam Dube | Sameer Rizvi (IP) | - |
| Number 4 | Ravindra Jadeja | Ajay Mandal | - |
| Number 5 | Ajay Mandal | Sameer Rizvi (IP) | - |
| Number 6 | Sameer Rizvi | MS Dhoni | - |
| Number 7 | MS Dhoni (wk) | - | - |
| Pace 1 | Deepak Chahar | Tushar Deshpande | Mukesh Choudhary |
| Pace 2 | Tushar Deshpande | Mukesh Choudhary | - |
| Pace 3 | Matheesha Pathirana | Mukesh Choudhary | - |
| Spin 1 | Ravindra Jadeja | Maheesh Theekshana | - |
| Spin 2 | Maheesh Theekshana | Ravindra Jadeja | - |
| Wicketkeeper | MS Dhoni | Devon Conway | - |
| Impact Player | Sameer Rizvi | - | - |
Squad analysis
What the depth chart tells us.
Chennai's depth chart is less stable than Mumbai's. The middle order shifts based on match-ups, and the Impact Player swap is used more frequently.
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55% same XI
Chennai's most-used XI plays roughly 55% of matches. The 45% variation includes the Impact Player swap, match-up-based middle-order rotations, and occasional pace rotation.
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Match-up rotations
Chennai rotates middle-order batters based on the opponent's spin or pace strength. This is a positive for fantasy players who can read match-ups.
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Variable floor
The variable XI gives Chennai a slightly lower fantasy-point floor than Mumbai but a similar ceiling. Multiple Chennai players consistently rank in the top 15 fantasy scorers per matchday.