5 causes behind CSK’s horrendous IPL 2025 marketing campaign
5-time IPL champions Chennai Tremendous Kings noticed their playoff hopes, already hanging by a sorrowful thread, come to a definitive and disappointing finish after their four-wicket defeat to Punjab Kings on April 30. For a franchise famend for its consistency, construction and successful DNA, this marketing campaign was nothing wanting a misfire.
Whereas it will be straightforward to level fingers at an underwhelming mega public sale or the absence of marquee names, CSK’s season unravelled attributable to a mixture of tactical rigidity, underperformance from skilled gamers, and delayed belief in new expertise. Listed below are 5 core causes behind the franchise’s forgettable 2025 season:
1. Stubbornness In opposition to Attacking Intent
Within the fashionable period of T20 cricket, the place groups routinely push scores past 220 and even flirt with 250, CSK’s batting strategy felt caught in a unique age. Till the April 30 conflict in opposition to PBKS, they hadn’t crossed 200 whereas batting first even as soon as. Their lone 200+ rating got here in a chase – sarcastically, additionally in opposition to PBKS.
Additionally Learn: IPL 2025: CSK first group out of playoffs race after dwelling humbling by PBKS
Reasonably than lack of sources, the difficulty appeared to lie within the mindset. Other than Shivam Dube and the ever-reliable, albeit 43-year-old, MS Dhoni, there was little seen power-hitting intent. CSK confirmed a hesitance to adapt and decide to the explosive, high-risk strategy that the format now calls for. In a match outlined by fearlessness, CSK’s conservatism proved pricey.
2. A Forgetful Mega Public sale
Regardless of coming into the mega public sale with a hefty purse of Rs 55 crore – publish retaining Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni, Matheesha Pathirana and Shivam Dube – CSK’s picks lacked star energy or strategic edge. There have been no true game-changers purchased to strengthen their core.
In batting, the absence of explosive top-order recruits was obvious. As a substitute, they doubled down on acquainted names like Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway, whereas attempting to plug gaps with gamers like Rahul Tripathi, higher suited to the middle-order. Their abroad signings – barring the occasional spark from Noor Ahmed – didn’t ignite matches.
On the bowling entrance too, CSK have been toothless most of the time. Exterior Pathirana (when match) and flashes from Ahmed, the assault lacked sting, making it laborious to defend even respectable totals.
3. Constant Captaincy Shifts
A giant dent to CSK’s cohesion got here from instability in management. Ruturaj Gaikwad, pegged because the long-term successor to Dhoni, was dominated out with damage early on, forcing Dhoni to step again into the captaincy position.
Whereas few minds in cricket match Dhoni’s, the tactical tempo of recent T20s requires aggression and adaptableness – issues Dhoni has executed greatest when main peak squads. This yr, with an evolving group and unclear intent, the fixed adjustments on the helm disrupted rhythm and readability. Too many shifts in imaginative and prescient mid-season can derail even the best-laid plans.
4. Failure of the Veterans
A lot of CSK’s historical past is constructed on the power of their veterans — gamers who know tips on how to win. However in 2025, these pillars merely didn’t ship. Ravichandran Ashwin, a marquee addition at Rs 9.75 crore, managed simply 5 wickets in seven video games — a stunning return, particularly contemplating the spin-friendly pitches at Chepauk.
Ravindra Jadeja, often the heartbeat of CSK’s success tales, couldn’t summon his greatest both. With 183 runs and 7 wickets from 10 video games, the 36-year-old all-rounder had a quiet match by his requirements.
When your senior-most gamers underwhelm, the burden on youthful gamers will increase – and for CSK, there have been just too few trusted contemporary faces.
5. Lack of Religion in Children
The 2025 season has been the yr of the underdog and the unknown. From 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s historic ton to Priyansh Arya’s gorgeous knock in opposition to CSK, franchises that wager on youth reaped wealthy rewards. CSK, nonetheless, hesitated to take that plunge.
Solely within the second half of the season did gamers like Shaikh Rasheed and Ayush Mhatre begin getting significant alternatives. However debuting them as a brand new opening pair within the high-pressure backend of the season was too little, too late. The choice to again expertise over exuberance might have labored previously — however 2025 confirmed that the tide has turned. In a format the place boldness is rewarded and in a season the place younger blood flourished throughout franchises, CSK’s conservatism as soon as once more got here again to chunk.
From their tactical inertia to poor public sale methods, management indecision, and veteran underperformance, the Chennai Tremendous Kings merely could not piece collectively the weather which have traditionally made them title contenders. With 4 video games nonetheless remaining, the writing is already on the wall — it’s again to the drafting board for the Yellow Brigade.
