Chennai Super Kings’ hopes for the playoffs look in trouble again this season. In the previous year, they were in fifth place after a tough competition. This year, their performance has declined, placing them in the last position, along with the increased difficulties for postseason qualification.
As reported by India.com, Ajay Jadeja said, “The last one was probably more emotional, don’t forget they won the year before that. So you know, sometimes when you go in, you do get emotional, you stick to the same players, and you know, hope that it’ll happen. But there was probably a curve that was heading down. This year’s performance, I’m a big Chennai Super Kings fan and a Mumbai Indians fan from one. Dhoni and Tendulkar are the reasons why most of our generation probably looks at these two teams.”
CSK’s slump after initial victory
In IPL 2025, Chennai had a strong start after the victory over the Mumbai Indians. However, it quickly faded as their flaws became more prominent. The major flaws included the batting, the injured player, and over-dependency on a particular player. CSK’s batting faced difficulties in the T20 format, as middle-order batsmen like Hooda, Shankar, and Tripathi underperformed. Also, the coming of Dhoni after Gaikwad’s injury did not add much to the performance.
The credit for the poor performance of the team can be given to the insufficient player acquisitions at the auction.
He added, “So I am also a little disappointed, but I think that the auction was where you could see that, you know, they do not have what, you know, the firepower, that, you know, most other teams have acquired. So that was probably the key to start with. And then, naturally, when things don’t go well, you lose.”
CSK’s lineup issue
Ajay Jadeja pointed out the unusual lack of stability in Chennai Super Kings’ lineup this season. Unlike in past years, when the franchise was known for backing its players consistently, a dip in performance and a weaker batting lineup have forced the team to make frequent changes.