Reigning champions Chennai are among the favourites for this year’s IPL 4. Despite losing seven games during the league stage last year, they won the final and later added the Champions Trophy.

They’ve managed to retain 11 players from last year’s squad, which will boost their team spirit and confidence. They also have the best captain in India’s World-Cup winning Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Strengths

Chennai's greatest strength is their batting, built around the Indian talents of Suresh Raina and Murali Vijay.

Raina is a swashbuckling left-hander who plays shots all round the wicket but also has the skill to work singles into the gaps. His average of 47 was the third best in IPL 3, and his strike rate of 143 was faster than the two batsmen with better averages, Sachin Tendulkar and Jacques Kallis.

Vijay is a tall, elegant right-hander who last year rattled along at an even quicker rate than Raina, blasting 157 runs per 100 balls. His 127 in 56 balls against Rajasthan Royals was one of the most destructive innings of IPL3.

Alongside these two, Mike Hussey and Dhoni are proven masters of limited-overs cricket, while all-rounders Dwayne Bravo and Albie Morkel ensure Chennai bat deep.

Though Chennai's spin department is weakened by the departure of Muttiah Muralitharan, they have kept hold of the most miserly bowler from IPL3 - the tall offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin was a revelation as an opening bowler, taking 13 wickets while conceding just 6.1 runs an over.   

Weaknesses

Chennai's bowling is slightly less convincing than the batting. Doug Bollinger was vital to last year's win and claims to have recovered from an ankle problem, but he is lacking match practice and will miss the first two games.

His confidence also took a knock during the 2010-11 Ashes and there is no guarantee he will rediscover the form he showed last year when he was the most accurate seamer on show with an economy rate of 6.67.

Bollinger is important, but Chennai do have are other seam bowling options. Australia's Ben Hilfenhaus and New Zealand's Tim Southee are international swing bowlers, and the Sri Lankan seamer Nuwan Kulasekara maintains a tight line and length with his open-chested action. None of Chennai's seamers possess express pace.  

Key men: Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Murali Vijay

2010 result: Winners

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