Chennai Super Kings Review (3/10): The title for ‘the worst team of IPL 2025’ goes to Dhoni’s CSK

The first 16 -year approval ended at the IPL Yatra, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the bottom of the points table. In a season where the revival in almost every franchise was at least a moment, CSK was the only team that was never going. From Game One to Game fourteen, CSK’s 2025 campaign was a large -scale undercover. With strategic dishonesty, an aging squad and failure to adapt, played like a 5 -time champion Mino.

While Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad hot and cooled, they showed minimal intentions. CSK, on ​​the contrary, through the tournament, ended with only four wins and firmly anchored under the table.

CSK retains players before IPL 2025

CSK released players before IPL 2025

Ajay Mandal, Ajinkya Rahane, Deepak Char, Devon Conway, Mahesh Thekshana, Mitchell Santner, Moin Ali, Mukesh Chaudhary, Nishant Sindhu, Prashant Solanki, Rajwardhan Hangergekar, Sheikh Rashid, Simarjeen Sin, Simarjet Deshine Mitchell, Sameer Rizvi, Mustafizur Rahman*, Avanishur Rahman*

Even before the IPL 2025, CSK was behind the rest of the teams, as they had suspicious in the IPL auction schemes. Since decades, they have a fixed plan to buy their old stars back – a step that did not work around this time. He bought Dewon Conway, Mukesh Chaudhary, Sheikh Rashid (good purchase) and Rachin Ravindra (good purchase) despite knowing that along with these people, the CSK failed to qualify for the playoffs in the previous season.

What went wrong for CSK in IPL 2025?

The worst batting unit in IPL 2025

As teams regularly pushed 220+, CSK was vested in a conservative approach. His batsmen failed to set or follow big yogas, chasing both managed to dissolve 200 only twice. The inaugural combos under the leadership of Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra or Rahul Tripathi and Rachin/Conway was lacking.

In fact, he was the worst performing batting unit in the powerplay, something that MS Dhoni also mentioned by the mid-season. He scored the lowest run (693) at the tenth worst economy rate of 137.50 in the first six overs. To not mention, CSK also lost 29 wickets in this process. This is basically an average score of 49/2 in every game inside the powerplay.

Overall, CSK batsmen scored 2315 runs at a simple strike rate throughout the tournament 138.29Which is also the lowest. The next is an SR with the worst KKR 143.20It has faced the most delivery despite CSK (1674) In the tournament (match by 69).

Terrible auction strategy

With a mega purse of ₹ 55 crore, CSK had a chance to rebuild. But instead of fresh faces, they doubled the experience. Players like Rahul Tripathi, Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar and Ravichandran Ashwin added very low prices. Failure to invest in power hitters or strike bowlers made them expensive. Even in bowling, he did a lot of banks on Jadeja and Pathirana, both were the best average.

The mid-season of Ruturaj Gikwad’s injury put MS Dhoni back to captaincy duties. While Dhoni is cleverly clever, his presence cannot inspire the deep flaws of the squad. It also put unwanted pressure on Dhoni, which itself looked like a responsibility with the bat at one point.

Jadeja and Ashwin – Spin attack of CSK spin attack – combined for just 17 wickets in 23 innings. With the bat, Jadeja was decent, but was far from its peak. Dhoni, although still impressive behind the stump, struggled to accelerate the crunch moments.

CSK Review (4/10)

Positive for CSK

• Emergence of Noor Ahmed: 24 wickets at 17.00; CSK best player from a distance
• Replacement stars step up: Developed Bravis (225 runs in 180 SR), Ayush Matre (240 runs), and Urvil Patel impressed
• Revival of Khalil Ahmed: 15 wickets despite a poor economy
• Promise of Anshul Kamboj: 8 wicket-affected long-term pacer in 8 games

Negative for CSK

• MS Dhoni’s batting declines: 196 runs without fifty without 135 SR
• Ravindra Jadeja’s dip: He is not worth only 18 crores.
• Flop Signing: Tripathi, Ashwin, Conway, Shankar and Hooda failed to justify their selection
• Bowling Letdown: Pathirana (10.13 Econ), Sam Curan (133 AVG per wicket) exposed CSK’s soft underbeli.

CSK Squad for IPL 2025

MS Dhoni, Devon Conway, Developed Brevis, Rahul Tripathi, Sheikh Rashid, Vanash Bedi, Andre Siddherth, Ayush Mest, Urville Patel, Rabindra Jadeja, Shivam Dub, Rachin Ravindra, Sam Curan, Ravichendran Ashk, Vije Shank, Vijay Shankar Ansul Kamboj, Win Shankar Ansul Kamboj, Mukesh Chaudhary, Khalel Ahmed, Noor Ahmed, Nathan Ellis, and Shreyas Gopal, Ruturaj Gikwad, Gurgapane Singh

This is the time of difficult decisions. CSK needs to be freed from its indifferent trap. While Dhoni’s future is uncertain, he will have to build young guns like Matre, Noor and Brevis. There is a need for an overhaul-with a strategy and special attention to the strategy and the wicket-taking quick.