The Chennai Super Kings, one of the most successful franchises in Indian Premier League history, have suffered a historic downfall in the 2025 season. After 10 matches, the Men in Yellow became the first team to be officially knocked out of playoff contention — an unthinkable scenario for a team so steeped in legacy and dominance.
With just two wins and eight losses, this season has been a tale of misfires, missed opportunities, and miscalculations. The injury to skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad early in the campaign severely derailed their momentum. Though fans found a flicker of hope when MS Dhoni took back the captaincy duties mid-season, even the legendary figure couldn’t weave his usual magic. CSK’s problems, however, run much deeper than an abrupt change in leadership.
Stuck in the past
Despite bringing in mid-season signings like Dewald Brevis and Ayush Mhatre, CSK seemed married to traditional strategies that are no longer viable in modern T20 cricket. Their reluctance to adapt to the high-risk, high-reward style that defines today’s IPL proved costly.
Among the many glaring issues CSK have faced this season, their inability to capitalise on the powerplay has stood out. Six out of the ten times, CSK failed to cross 50 runs inside the first six overs — the most by any team this season. Their powerplay run rate of just 7.91 is the lowest among all teams this year.
In a league increasingly defined by aggressive starts and power-hitting from ball one, CSK’s sluggish approach at the top set them back repeatedly. The reluctance to take risks early on meant they were constantly playing catch-up, which their conservative middle-order could not recover from.
While other teams embraced explosive starts, CSK remained conservative. In their 10 games, they hit only six sixes in the powerplay, with Mhatre accounting for two of them. Their famed home fortress at Chepauk also crumbled—losing five of six matches played there this season.
Quiz: Who’s that IPL player?
The batting has been their biggest letdown. Until their April 30 clash against PBKS, CSK hadn’t crossed 200 even once while batting first. Their innings were often marked by caution rather than aggression, making it easy for opposition sides to apply pressure.
Batting Statistics of Top Four CSK Batters (2025 Season)
None of Shivam Dube, Rachin Ravindra, Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni have made big scores and just three fifties have been scored among them. These aren’t numbers that win championships.
Spin without bite, pace without punchSpin, traditionally CSK’s stronghold at Chepauk, also failed to deliver this time. Despite the presence of world-class options like Jadeja, R Ashwin, and Noor Ahmad, the spin trio underwhelmed. Noor started strong but tapered off as the tournament progressed. Jadeja and Ashwin, once dependable, failed to deliver match-turning spells.
Meanwhile, in the pace department, Khaleel Ahmed was the only bright spark. He claimed eight wickets in the powerplay across nine innings — more than any other bowler during that phase of the season. He also bowled most amount of dot balls(106)this season. But Matheesha Pathirana, a retained star with high expectations, turned out to be a disappointment.
CSK Bowling Summary (2025)
CSK bowling stats
Despite using 21 different players this season, CSK failed to find a winning combination.
Auction missteps, strategic failuresWith a massive Rs 55 crore purse remaining after retaining Ruturaj, Jadeja, Dhoni, Pathirana, and Dube, expectations were sky-high. However, CSK’s auction strategy backfired. They chased familiar faces and overlooked emerging match-winners. The inability to land Deepak Chahar was notable, but more concerning was how they got almost every other player they bid aggressively for—only to see them underperform.
They chose experience over explosiveness, signing names like Rahul Tripathi, Vijay Shankar, and Deepak Hooda, while ignoring younger, more dynamic talent dominating the league.
A fading roar at ChepaukThis year, the famed “Whistle Podu” chant at Chepauk wasn’t about wins — it was about MS Dhoni walking in to bat. As the team continued to lose, the crowd found solace in watching their ‘Thala’ take guard, even if just for a few deliveries. For many fans, Dhoni is the only reason to cheer in an otherwise forgettable season.
Not a one-off anymoreMany fans may want to write off 2025 as an aberration. But this is CSK’s fourth failed campaign in six seasons:
2020 – Did not qualify
2022– Did not qualify
2024– Did not qualify
2025 – Did not qualify
Ironically, they won the IPL in 2021 and again in 2023 with nearly the same squad that failed in the seasons before and after. This inconsistency suggests deeper issues in strategy and execution.
What’s next?
The big question: Will MS Dhoni return for one last hurrah in 2026, or is it finally time to move on? Will CSK rebuild, reinvent, and embrace the new age of T20 cricket? Or will they continue to cling to nostalgia and familiarity?
A franchise known for its stability is now at a crossroads. The decisions made in the coming months could define the next decade of Chennai Super Kings cricket.
