Chennai Super Kings (CSK), one of the most successful teams in the Indian Premier League, is enduring a nightmare season in IPL 2025. With just two wins in their first ten matches, the five-time champions were the first team to be officially knocked out of playoff contention. Amid this disastrous run, former cricketers and experts have started dissecting the team’s questionable decisions—particularly the under-utilization of star off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.
CSK splurged a massive INR 9.75 crore to buy Ashwin in the IPL 2025 mega auction, signaling their faith in the veteran spinner. However, to everyone’s surprise, Ashwin has featured in just a handful of games and returned with unremarkable numbers—five wickets at an average of 44.60. His absence from key matches, including the recent one against Punjab Kings, has left many baffled.
Speaking about the ongoing selection dilemma, former India off-spinner and CSK alumnus Harbhajan Singh questioned the rationale behind spending so much on Ashwin only to keep him on the bench.
“Chennai didn’t select the team based on conditions. Had Noor Ahmad, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja played together against Punjab Kings, CSK could have won the match. You didn’t pay INR 10 crore for Ashwin to bench him,” Harbhajan stated. “I don’t know why he is not playing, but it seems he might have fought with someone.”
Harbhajan also pointed out that Ashwin wasn’t the only player struggling for form, but unlike others who continued to get game time, Ashwin was unfairly sidelined.
“He is not the only one who hasn’t performed. Others are still playing despite their ordinary performances, but Ashwin is out of the team. He should have played against Punjab, as the ball was spinning,” he added.
Adding to the debate, former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar suggested that CSK might reconsider their investment in Ashwin and Matheesha Pathirana ahead of the next season. Speaking on JioHotstar, Bangar explained, “If they want to free up their purse a little bit… they might not want to use Ashwin as much as they did this season.”
The dismal 2025 campaign has raised serious questions about CSK’s team management, squad balance, and use of resources. With a mega auction looming in the near future, the franchise has some tough decisions ahead—starting with whether to retain or release their INR 10 crore benchwarmer, Ravichandran Ashwin.
