What if Chennai Super Kings Players Were Cast as The Avengers....

|By Parshva Shah|

Since the last article saw the crossover between the Mumbai Indians and The Avengers, it comes as little to no surprise that we are here today with the crossover between The Avengers and Mumbai Indians’ arch-nemesis, Chennai Super Kings!

Chennai Super Kings under the tutelage of MS Dhoni has won the IPL thrice, making it an incredible record for any IPL franchise second only to Mumbai Indians.

Let’s take a look at which players would easily get an offer from Kevin Feige (Marvel Studios’ President) in an alternate universe (smart statement considering the route MCU is taking, haha!).

Stephen Fleming – Nick Fury

Much like Nick Fury, who was a young gun at S.H.I.E.L.D before eventually heading it, Stephen Fleming was a player himself for the Men in Yellow during the inaugural IPL edition in 2008.

Since that one-season stint as a player, Stephen Fleming made a leap and was appointed the coach of the Chennai Super Kings because of his invaluable experience and a penchant for having an eye for young talent.

The former Blackcaps captain has worked behind the scenes to make Chennai Super Kings the team they are today, and he is often not given the credit he deserves, much like Nick Fury in MCU, as all the spotlight is taken away by the superheroes (players).

MS Dhoni – Steve Rogers/Captain America

MS “Thala” Dhoni is both the heart and the beat of the Chennai Super Kings and always leads from the front in difficult circumstances.

Much like Steve Rogers in the MCU could “do it all day”, MSD can most certainly do it all the time when it comes to bailing his team out of pressure situations.

Dhoni is most likely the fastest runner in his team, despite being one of the most senior members, showing no signs of ageing at all, similar to Captain America from the MCU.

Dwayne Bravo – Star-Lord

If Dwayne Bravo even auditioned for the role of Star Lord in this reality, chances are he would absolutely make this role his own because of the intriguing similarities between the cricketer and the superhero.

In the movies, Star-Lord loves to listen to the 70’s music on his Walkman while eliminating the threats and fighting off cosmic entities, while our very own Caribbean crowd-puller dances after taking a catch or a wicket off his own bowling.

Both these characters are Grade A show-boaters. One entertains the spectators on the cricket pitch while the other amuses the audience in the theatres by his bizarre antics.

If you ever read this Dwayne Bravo, head straight over to the Marvel Studios’ head office, for the chances of you snatching Chris Pratt’s role are stupendously high!

Ravindra Jadeja – “Bucky” Barnes/Winter Soldier

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Bucky Barnes gets an artificial arm from King T’Challa of Wakanda after losing his left arm during the events of Captain America: Civil War. The replacement arm is made of vibranium, the strongest metal existing in the MCU yet, making Bucky’s left hand probably the strongest left-hand in the MCU.

When it comes to the IPL, I don’t think anyone comes close to the strength of Ravindra Jadeja’s left-hand. The use of his bottom-hand while pinch-hitting, his accurate bowling using nagging lines, and a left-hand that makes the batsmen think a hundred times before running the extra run make him one of the most valuable players for the Chennai Super Kings.

Just like the movies, where Steve and Bucky are best friends, Jadeja is the Bucky to Dhoni’s Steve in the IPL, his best friend, his go-to-man, and their camaraderie on the pitch is one of the sweetest in the IPL.

After Chennai Super Kings served their two-year suspension, one could relate Dhoni and Jadeja’s CSK reunion with Steve and Bucky’s reunion in Wakanda in Avengers: Infinity War.

Shane Watson – Thor Odinson

Shane Watson is a batting powerhouse for the Chennai outfit, much like Thor is the most powerful member of the Avengers in the MCU.

As much as he is a force to be reckoned with when he bats, his economical bowling pulls the brakes more often than not, similar to Thor who is just as powerful when he is not using his weapons Mjolnir or Stormbreaker.

He plunders the bowlers all around the ground with his ‘thunderous’ ball-hitting ability.

Not only that but Chris Hemsworth, who plays Thor in the MCU, is also an Australian like Shane Watson.

Harbhajan Singh – Hulk

Unlike other players on this list, Harbhajan Singh makes the cut on the basis of emotional similarities rather than abilities.

Harbhajan Singh can be an animated figure on the pitch when he scalps a wicket or gets involved in a confrontation with the opposition players as a result of his short temper, a trait that the Hulk is famous (or rather infamous) for in the MCU.

The angrier the Hulk gets, the more powerful he becomes. The angrier Harbhajan gets, the more motivated he becomes to translate that anger into inspirational performances for his IPL outfit.

That’s it from my end for this article. I failed to include players like Suresh Raina and heroes like Iron Man because I couldn’t find any suitable players/heroes to strike comparisons with. However, you can let me know which player would be most suited to play a particular Avenger and why. We'll be back with another article soon! Have a nice day!