IPL 2025 | Archaic Super Kings need to take tough calls to prevent prolonged rut

Muddled season: CSK’s pattern of defeats was almost painfully identical.
| Photo Credit: Sportzpics/ipl

When a team sets a high bar, there is an unshakable trust in the blueprint as it has worked time and time again.

However, there comes a phase when the rivals catch up and the much-celebrated champion finds itself stuck in the past. For Chennai Super Kings, that moment has arrived as it failed to progress to the IPL playoffs for the second consecutive year.

The four-wicket defeat to Punjab Kings on Wednesday was the nadir for the five-time champion, which slumped to its eighth reverse in 10 games and crashed out of the tournament well before the end of the league stage.

The loss against Kings was Super Kings’ fifth successive one at home (MAC Stadium), where it hardly used to face setbacks.

The abysmal performance can be traced back to the auction when the think-tank failed to assemble a batting unit that was in tune with the demands of modern-day T20 cricket, where the ability to tee off from the get-go is paramount.

The pattern of defeats was almost painfully identical; the top-order failed to maximise the PowerPlay while setting or chasing a total, leaving the rest to play catch-up.

That the Yellow Brigade hit only six maximums in the PowerPlay in 2025 — young Vaibhav Suryavanshi managed it in just one innings in the first six overs against Gujarat Titans — reflected how sluggish the starts were.

CSK has often extracted the best out of players who might not have done well at other franchises. The strong belief in that philosophy probably dictated its strategy to pick an Indian batting core.

Unfortunately, the decision to pin hopes on Rahul Tripathi, Vijay Shankar, and Deepak Hooda backfired. The lack of form from its overseas batting options, Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway, and the waning powers of Ravindra Jadeja and M.S. Dhoni made it a perfect storm.

Rigid and predictable

Ruturaj Gaikwad and Dhoni’s captaincy looked rigid and predictable.

The management’s reluctance to back youth, unlike other teams, showed the archaic mindset. Only when pushed to a corner did they try out youngsters like Shaik Rasheed, Ayush Mhatre, and Dewald Brevis — the last two being injury replacements.

A rich legacy and glittering cabinet are all fine but not reading the evolving landscape is proving disastrous.

There needs to be soul-searching and tough calls if Super Kings want to prevent their recent slump turning into a prolonged rut.