MS Dhoni - Chennai Super Kings Team Players - IPL 2010

BORN 07 Jul 1981, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India
TEAMS CSK
BATS RIGHT-HANDED
BOWLS RIGHT-ARM MEDIUM

The Chennai Super Kings paid a whopping $1.5 million dollars for MS Dhoni at the IPL auctions in 2008 - a testament to his talent and usefulness as a cricketer. 'Captain Cool' as he is often referred to, MS Dhoni is an all-weather man. Whether it's time to consolidate, to up the ante or lead improbable run chases, MS Dhoni has shown he has the formula to thrive and succeed under all conditions and in all situations.

For one who started off as an outright aggressive batsman, Dhoni has these days mellowed down and plays more maturely. Not to say he can't hit the boundaries and those lusty sixes. The responsibility of being captain means Dhoni these days prefers to put a higher price on his wicket. One of the busy kind of players who likes to keep the scoreboard ticking all the time, there is never a dull moment and play never stops when Dhoni is out in the middle. He is secure and smart behind the stumps too.

He led India to glory in the World Twenty20 in 2007 and led the Chennai Super Kings to the final of the inaugural season of the IPL, only to be beaten by the Rajasthan Royals on the last ball of the final. He will be hoping to repeat his performance with the bat, and hope his team can go one better than the inaugural season and lift the trophy.

Murali Vijay - Chennai Super Kings Team Players - IPL 2010

BORN 01 Apr 1984, Chennai, India

TEAMS CSK

BATS RIGHT-HANDED

BOWLS RIGHT-ARM OFF SPIN

India's Test opener in waiting, Murali Vijay is a batsman in the classical mould, but one who can shift gears and play the unorthodox shots if the need arises. Vijay, blessed with great temperament, has been a prolific scorer in domestic cricket - in the longer format as well as the 50-over game. In his four seasons of domestic cricket, Vijay has been a consistent performer with the bat, and is known to have a penchant to play long innings. He has two first-class double hundreds to his credit to go with two other scores of over 150.

However, he hasn't had too much success in the 20-over format, and he will he hoping to set that record right in the forthcoming season of the IPL. In the four matches he has played in the IPL, he has only managed 60 runs, and will be hoping to add to that tally.

Suresh Raina - Chennai Super Kings Team Players - IPL 2010

BORN 27 Nov 1986, Muradnagar, Uttar Pradesh, India

TEAMS CSK

BATS LEFT-HANDED

BOWLS SLOW LEFT-ARM ORTHODOX SPIN

The left-handed Suresh Raina was tipped by former India coach Greg Chappell as the 'next big thing' in Indian cricket. An elegant batsman, a useful off-spinner and an excellent fielder, Raina is among the new generation of Indian cricketers who believe in excelling at least two departments so as to be of value to the team.

An aggressive batsman, yet one who can bat with the grace that comes naturally to left-handers, Raina has scored tons of runs in domestic cricket and has come through the system. Bought by the Chennai Super Kings at $650,000, Raina is an integral part of the Chennai outfit; he is one of three players to have played in every one of the Chennai Super Kings' matches, and is one of their leading run-scorers.

He is a smart customer when bowling his off-breaks, and the pause in his bowling stride only adds to the batsman's misery. In the 31 overs he has bowled in the IPL so far, he has bagged eight wickets and has conceded runs at a miserly rate of 6.26.

Michael Hussey - Chennai Super Kings Team Players - IPL 2010

BORN 27 May 1975, Morley, Australia

TEAMS CSK

BATS LEFT-HANDED

BOWLS RIGHT-ARM MEDIUM

After scoring tons of runs in domestic cricket, Michael Hussey earned a belated call to the Australian team in 2004 and attained Bradmanesque heights in his first three years in Test cricket. Michael, the older of the two Hussey brothers in the international cricket scene, is a well-built left-hand batsman.

Although he doesn't possess the grace that is generally associated with left-hand batsmen, he has still got all the shots in the book, the temperament to succeed in trying times and the technique to succeed in all conditions. Calm outwardly but strong of mind, Hussey has also grown to become a good fielder and a safe catcher, often plucking some great catches at gully. Bought by the Chennai Super Kings for $350,000, Michael scored a century in his very first outing in the IPL - he made an unbeaten 116 against Kings XI Punjab and took part in three other matches before leaving the IPL party to join the Australian team.

He joined the Chennai Super Kings in the last couple of weeks of the second season but didn't get an outing. If Michael can perform the way he has done on previous tours of India - with the Australian cricket team and with the Chennai Super Kings - the Chennai franchise can expect a flurry of runs from the run machine from down under.

Matthew Hayden - Chennai Super Kings Team Players - IPL 2010

BORN 29 Oct 1971, Kingaroy, Australia

TEAMS CSK

BATS LEFT-HANDED

BOWLS RIGHT-ARM MEDIUM

Just the sight of Matthew Hayden at the crease is intimidating; standing 6 feet 2 inches tall, strong, well-built, with broad shoulders, Hayden was an integral component of the Australian team that dominated world cricket for the better part of this decade. Words perhaps cannot express how much power he packed into his strokes; in an international career that lasted over 16 years, Hayden hit 182 sixes and 1722 boundaries - incredible numbers those.

As if just his presence itself was not enough to intimidate the bowlers, Hayden would fearlessly walk down the track to the medium-pacers and take them on. Having retired from international cricket early in 2009, Hayden was fresh when he joined the Chennai Super Kings for Season-II of the IPL. And just as he had done many times earlier at the international stage, he sent the opposition bowlers on a leather hunt, in the process amassing 572 runs in 12 matches to end up the leading run-scorer of the tournament.

Though he will be nearing his 39th birthday when he takes part in IPL 2010 Hayden will still be an integral part of Chennai Super Kings' plans and a force to contend with for their opponents.

S Badrinath - Chennai Super Kings Team Players - IPL 2010

BORN 30 Aug 1980, Chennai, India
TEAMS CSK
BATS RIGHT-HANDED
BOWLS RIGHT-ARM OFF SPIN

'The unstoppable run-machine' is how one could briefly describe Subramaniam Badrinath. The Chennai-born cricketer has been plying his trade on the domestic circuit for close to a decade now, but has shot into prominence in the last four or five years, thanks to his consistent run-making. The mainstay of Tamil Nadu batting, Badri is a busy player; he silently accumulates his runs and keeps the scoreboard ticking all the time, but can play those attacking shots every now and then. Aside of his batting, he is an excellent fielder in the ring and a safe catcher. He may not be a big-name in a team that comprises of several superstars, but Badri is certainly a vital cog in the Chennai Super Kings set-up.

Sudeep Tyagi - Chennai Super Kings Team Players - IPL 2010

BORN 19 Sep 1987, Ghaziabad, India
TEAMS CSK
BATS RIGHT-HANDED
BOWLS RIGHT-ARM MEDIUM FAST

Lean, mean and skiddy, Uttar Pradesh medium-pacer Sudeep Tyagi broke into the domestic cricket scene with a bang; he finished his first season in the Ranji Trophy as the leading wicket-taker, but injuries laid him low and he was forced to miss the next season. However, he was signed up by the Chennai Super Kings for IPL-2009 based on the talent they saw in him. He picked up five wickets in the limited opportunities he was given, and continues to be pick up wickets consistently. He continues to be successful on the domestic cricket circuit, is rated very highly, and will be hoping to get a few more opportunities to showcase his talent.

Makhaya Ntini - Chennai Super Kings Team Players - IPL 2010

BORN 06 Jul 1977, Mdingi, South Africa
TEAMS CSK
BATS RIGHT-HANDED
BOWLS RIGHT-ARM FAST

The first coloured cricketer to play 100 Tests for South Africa, Makhaya Ntini is a great role model for the nation's youngsters. Never one to let his shoulders drop or shy away from responsibility, Ntini's is a success story that deserves to be documented. From being discovered at a cattle herd, to being the leader of South Africa's bowling attack, it has been a dramatic journey for Ntini. Always bustling with energy, Ntini was signed up by the Chennai Super Kings for $200,000. He wasn't quite effective in the inaugural season, only managing seven wickets in nine matches, and didn't get an outing in the second season despite it being played in his own backyard. A cricketer with a never-say-die attitude and one who has met with success in both, the longer version and in ODIs, Ntini, still in his early 30s, will be hoping he can find the secret to success in T20s in IPL 2010.

Muttiah Muralidaran - Chennai Super Kings Team Players - IPL 2010

BORN 17 Apr 1972, Kandy, Sri Lanka
TEAMS CSK
BATS RIGHT-HANDED
BOWLS RIGHT-ARM OFF-SPIN

The leading wicket-taker in international cricket - that is as succinct an introduction one can possibly find for Muttiah Muralidaran. Despite his unorthodox action, Muralidaran has excelled on all kinds of surfaces - so much so that several experts say he can spin the ball on glass. He has been Sri Lanka's number one spinner for years now, and despite being in the twilight of his career, he is just as enthusiastic as the younger brigade and has really taken to the twenty-over format. He finished Chennai Super Kings' leading wicket-taker in the second edition of the IPL, taking 14 wickets at an average of 18.64 and continues to be as miserly as he has been over the years.

SB Jakati - Chennai Super Kings Team Players - IPL 2010

BORN 27 Nov 1980, Vasco da Gama, Goa, India
TEAMS CSK
BATS LEFT-HANDED
BOWLS SLOW LEFT-ARM ORTHODOX

An orthodox left-arm spinner, Shadab Jakati had been plying his trade in domestic cricket for close to a decade, but has been largely unnoticed. But all that changed and he shot to prominence after playing for the Chennai Super Kings; in nine matches for the Chennai franchise in the second Season, he picked up thirteen wickets including back-to-back four-wicket hauls and finished as their second-highest wicket-taker behind Mutthah Muralitharan. While primarily a left-arm bowler, Jakati is a capable lower-order batsman too - he has scored over 1000 runs in first-class cricket and has a first-class century against his name.

MS Gony - Chennai Super Kings Team Players - IPL 2010

BORN 01 Jan 1984, Roopnagar, Punjab, India

TEAMS CSK

BATS RIGHT-HANDED

BOWLS RIGHT-ARM MEDIUM FAST

One of the several players who can vouch to have benefited from playing in the Indian Premier League. Manpreet Gony was a relatively unknown until he played in the first season of the IPL. But 17 wickets in the first season, and he was quickly drafted into the Indian team for the Asia Cup in 2008. Tall, well-built, with a good action, Gony didn't take many of the chances he was given in the two ODIs he played.

Injuries meant he was out of the reckoning for a while, and he couldn't regain the kind of form that propelled him to national colours when he played for the Chennai Super Kings in the second cluster of wickets which he hopes will propel him to the starting XI in the coming season.

Chandrasekara Ganapathy - Chennai Super Kings Team Players - IPL 2010

BORN 10 Jun 1981, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

TEAMS CSK

BATS RIGHT-HANDED

BOWLS RIGHT-ARM MEDIUM

Chandrasekara Ganapathy was one of the standout performers in the Ranji Trophy in the 2009-10 season. The Tamil Nadu all rounder caught the eye of selectors when he took a five wicket haul in the Duleep Trophy final. His batting prowess, on display during the Ranji Trophy Super League, he scored 543 runs at an average of 77.57, got him selected to the Chennai Super Kings squad.

His seam bowling and all-round ability should stand him in good stead and could add the right balance to the team.

Lakshmipathy Balaji - Chennai Super Kings Team Players - IPL 2010

BORN 27 Sep 1981, Chennai, India

TEAMS CSK

BATS RIGHT-HANDED

BOWLS RIGHT-ARM MEDIUM FAST

Lakshmipathy Balaji, once a leader of the Indian pace attack, was a forgotten man for more than three years until the IPL happened. After spending all that time in the wilderness thanks to a spate of injuries, Balaji announced he was back to bowling fitness and was immediately signed up by Chennai Super Kings. After picking up two wickets on his IPL debut, Balaji took the IPL by storm when he picked up the first hat-trick of the league.

A steady performance with the ball thereafter resulted in a recall to the national team, but injury struck yet again. Thought not as quick as he was in his heyday, he is still a skiddy customer and has mastered the use of change of pace. He is back plying his trade in domestic cricket, and one expects him to be a vital cog in the Chennai Super Kings' plans.

Ravichandran Ashwin - Chennai Super Kings Team Players - IPL 2010

BORN 17 Sep 1986, Chennai, India

TEAMS CSK

BATS RIGHT-HANDED

BOWLS RIGHT-ARM OFF SPIN

Ravichandran Ashwin is a tall off-spinner who hails from Chennai. He bowls with a high arm action, can get the ball to skid on, and is one of the few Indian spinners who has the 'cannon ball' in his repertoire.While bowling is his forte, Ashwin has made giant strides in his batting too in the recent past, and these days contributes useful runs to his team.

He made his debut for the Chennai Super Kings in the second edition of the Indian Premier League and turned in a decent performance in the only time he got to bowl.However, he will be approaching the third season of the IPL with the confidence of a fruitful first class season for his state Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy and will be hoping he can carry his form with both bat and ball into the twenty-over competition.