Chennai Super Kings (CSK) suffered their sixth defeat in IPL 2025 on Sunday, losing by nine wickets to Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium. This defeat leaves CSK at the bottom of the points table, with their playoff hopes hanging by a thread. The team is now on the verge of becoming the first to be eliminated from the tournament.
After the loss, CSK’s season planning came under scrutiny, particularly regarding their auction strategy. Former CSK players, Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh, both India legends, questioned the team’s choices during the November auction.
Raina Critiques CSK’s Auction Strategy
Speaking during the match, Raina pointed out that CSK’s struggles could be traced back to their auction decisions. He highlighted that key players such as Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul were available but were not picked by CSK, which, in his view, was a missed opportunity.
Raina said, “I feel somewhere they did not have a good auction. There were so many talented players and youngsters in the auction. Where are they? You went to the auction with so much money, but left Pant, Iyer, and Rahul. I have never seen CSK struggle like this.”
Harbhajan Blames CSK’s Talent Scouts
Harbhajan Singh, also present in the commentary box, agreed with Raina’s comments. He criticized the selection of players by the CSK talent scouts and the failure to pick game-changing players, especially from the younger pool.
He said, “CSK is a big team. They had the options to pick those players in the auction. Even among the youngsters, they did not turn out to be game-changers. The talent scouts should be questioned about their choices, because the selection was based on that.”
CSK’s Path to Playoffs
Chennai’s next match will be at home against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 25, followed by a clash with Punjab Kings on April 30. To keep their playoff hopes alive, CSK must win all their remaining games, reaching 16 points by the end of the league stage. They also need to secure victories with large margins to improve their net run rate.
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