Over the last few weeks, Chennai Super Kings have been seething. And it makes absolute sense as the team has performed miserably in IPL 2025. Never in the history of the tournament has the side lost five matches consecutively, including 3 successive losses in Chepauk. But does this warrant for the fans to ask the senior pros of CSK to exit the team?
CSK fans have flooded social media platforms, expressing their angst against Dhoni, Jadeja and Ashwin. MSD has been labeled a 44-year-old incapable of playing the game any longer. Ashwin, too, has been called a Test cricketer who isn’t fit for T20s. Jadeja on the other hand has been asked to exit the team by fans, partially due to his misutilization by the team and partly because he has failed to deliver with bat and ball.
CSK need to reinvent T20 game, exit of stars won’t help
One of the arguments provided by fans who call for the exit of the trio is that neither Dhoni, Jadeja or Ashwin play T20Is any longer. But will their exit solve all of CSK’s problems plaguing them currently? No, it surely won’t. CSK, as a unit, has failed collectively and there is no individual who can be blamed.
Conway, Rachin need to do what they do for NZ
Let’s start with their batting approach. While the rest of the 9 sides have gone berserk in terms of opening, CSK continue to follow what Dhoni calls the “conservative approach.”
No doubt they have some of the best openers such as Rachin and Conway, who have the reputation to be destructive while they play for New Zealand, they have failed to replicate the same in IPL 2025.
Perhaps they could take a leaf out of the book of what openers like du Plessis, Watson, Hayden, Smith, Vijay and others have done for CSK in the past. The solution is very simple – the team ought to display more aggression in the powerplay.
No lack of talent, simply zero intent
Next comes the middle-order who have been lacklustre and inconsistent to the core. There is no dearth of talent in the likes of Tripathi, Dube, Hooda, Shankar. Dhoni and Jadeja. Yet, they have failed to deliver.
In fact, the middle-order continues to follow the same-old medieval template that CSK has set for years now. With no real intent shown in the middle-overs – where the team quite literally puts the fans to sleep – the team always aims to take the game down to the final over. While this might have worked wonders for them in the past, it has only resulted in failures this season.
Jaddu, MSD need to pull up socks but can’t take all the blame
There is no point of blaming finishers like Dhoni and Jadeja. Yes, they ought to bat up the order. Perhaps, they even have to strike more maximums. But one shouldn’t forget that the entire role of the finishers hinges on the momentum that the batters above them provide to the side.
As for Dhoni alone, it is very well known that the 43-year-old has issues with his knees. Hence, running lightning fast singles like he used to is near impossible. CSK are more or less depending on MSD like an impact player. There are some areas that he needs to make amends – such as dealing with spinners and slow-paced deliveries. With that being said, he isn’t entirely the reason for the team’s defeat at all times. After all, it is tough to shoulder the expectations of the CSK fans who always want Dhoni to play like how he did during his prime.
As for Ashwin, he has and still is a genius with the ball. Just 6 matches aren’t enough to write to him off.
With that being said, it is time for CSK to reinvent their approach in IPL. It’s easy for the fans to demand for the exit of some of the players. But that surely won’t solve anything. Not in mid-season at least.
