CSK Told To Change 3 Key Weak Points Immediately By Ravichandran Ashwin

Chennai Super Kings finished eighth in the IPL 2026 points table. They started on the wrong footing and ended on a poor note too. In the middle, some strong performances by Sanju Samson and others raised hopes among the fans of CSK, one of the most followed IPL franchises, yet they could not qualify for the playoffs. At the end, CSK ended with 12 points from 14 matches. Ravichandran Ashwin, a former CSK player himself, praised the efforts of Sanju Samson, Akeal Hosein, and Anshul Kamboj, but added that the auction strategies should be reworked.

Auction Strategy, Role Clarity And Decision-Making

“Auction strategies need to be reworked. Two teams picked Venkatesh Iyer and Jason Holder for 7 crores and made the final. Instead of picking two for 14 crores each, they should have gone for these two to achieve a combination of youth and experience. They didn’t gel as a team and had role clarity issues,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

“Other teams suffered injuries before the season itself. But for CSK, injuries aren’t new, and their players got injured after the season started. Despite their best efforts, they couldn’t overcome the injuries, which continue to be a problem for them. They gave the wrong insertion points for many players. Using Brevis and Dube as finishers means the decision-making was also lopsided.”

Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming said that although MS Dhoni did not feature in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, the veteran wicketkeeper-batter continued to have a big influence on the team, adding that his presence around the side has been extremely important.

The 44-year-old, who suffered injuries, missed the entire tournament. However, despite Dhoni not featuring in any of CSK’s matches, coach Fleming said that the former CSK captain has remained closely involved with the team and continues to have a major influence, particularly in guiding younger players and maintaining continuity within the squad.

“MS (Dhoni) has been around a lot this year, which has been really important for the team, for a lot of young players, and continuity. So, he’s been a big part. He hasn’t played, but he’s still had a big influence on the team,” Fleming said at the post-match press conference

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