The Super Kings of Chennai, one of the most successful franchises in the history of the Indian Premier League, underwent a historic fall of the 2025 season. After 10 games, Yellow’s men became the first team to be officially eliminated from the playoffs – an unthinkable scenario for a team so impregnated with inheritance and domination.
With only two victories and eight defeats, this season has been a story of failures, missed opportunities and false calculations. The injury of the skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad at the start of the campaign seriously derailed their momentum. Although fans found a sparkle of hope when Ms Dhoni took over the functions of captain in mid-season, even the legendary silhouette could not weave its usual magic. CSK’s problems, however, are much deeper than a brutal change in leadership.
Stuck in the past
Despite the signs of mid-season 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 style and a strong reward that defines the IPL today has proven expensive.
Among the many blatant problems that CSK has faced this season, their inability to capitalize on the power game has stood out. Six out of ten times, CSK has failed to cross 50 points in the first six Overs – the most by any team this season. Their powerplay execution rate of only 7.91 is the lowest among all the teams this year.
In an increasingly defined league by aggressive departures and the first power coup, the slow approach of CSK at the top made them go back several times. The reluctance to take risks very early meant that they were constantly playing in catch -up, of which their conservative intermediate order could not recover.
While other teams have adopted explosive departures, CSK has remained conservative. During their 10 games, they only reached six six in the PowerPlay, with Mhatre with regard to two of them. Their famous fortress at home in Chepauk also collapsed, losing five of the six games played this season.
Quiz: Who is this IPL player?
The stick was their greatest disappointment. Until their April 30 confrontation against PBKS, CSK had not crossed 200 once hitting first. Their sleeves were often marked by prudence rather than assault, which allows opposition to apply the pressure alongside.
Statistics in the stick of the first four CSK strikers (2025 season)
None of Shivam Dube, Rachin Ravira, Raviund will Jadeja and Ms Dhoni have made big scores and only three fiftys were marked among them. These are not figures that earn championships.
Turn without bite, rhythm without punchingSpin, traditionally the bastion of CSK to Chepauk, has not delivered this time either. Despite the presence of world class options like Jadeja, R Ashwin and Noor Ahmad, the spin trio was disappointed. Noor started hard but was shifted as the tournament progressed. Jadeja and Ashwin, formerly reliable, failed to make filming spells.
Meanwhile, in the rhythm department, Khaleel Ahmed was the only brilliant spark. He claimed eight counters in the power game on nine rounds – more than any other bowling player during this phase of the season. He also played most of the points (106) this season. But Matheesha Pathirana, a star kept with high expectations, turned out to be a disappointment.
Summary of the Bowling CSK (2025)
Bowling CSK statistics
Despite the use of 21 different players this season, CSK failed to find a winning combination.
Auction, strategic failures decorpationsWith a handbag of 55 Massive RS ranges after keeping Ruturaj, Jadeja, Dhoni, Pathirana and Dube, the expectations were excessive. However, the CSK auction strategy turned against him. They chased familiar faces and neglected the emerging winners. The inability to land Deepak Chahar was notable, but more worrying was the way they got almost all the other players for whom they offer aggressively – to see them underperforms.
They chose experience rather than explosiveness, signing names like Rahul Tripathi, Vijay Shankar and Deepak Hooda, while ignoring younger and more dynamic talents dominating the League.
I don’t know what to do.This year, the famous song “Whistle podi” in Chepauk did not concern the victories – it was MS Dhoni in Bat. While the team continued to lose, the crowd found comfort while looking at their “thala” take care, even if it is only for a few deliveries. For many fans, Dhoni is the only reason to encourage an otherwise forgetable season.
More one-offMany fans may want to delight 2025 as aberration. But it is the fourth failed CSK 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 almost the same team that failed in the seasons before and after. This inconsistency suggests deeper problems in strategy and execution.
What is the next step?
Will the big question: Will Dhoni come back for a last Hourra in 2026, or is it finally time to move on? Will CSK reconstruct, will he reinvent and kiss the new age of the T20 cricket? Or will they continue to hang on to nostalgia and familiarity?
A franchise known for its stability is now at a crossroads. Decisions made in the coming months could define the next decade of Chennai Super Kings Cricket.
