'MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar are the reasons why...': Jadeja pained by CSK's auction blunder, steep fall in IPL 2025

It's been the second season in a row where Chennai Super Kings are struggling in the playoffs race. They finished fifth last season but did put up a fight till their last league stage match, where Royal Challengers Bengaluru pipped them to reach the playoffs, but things have turned worse for them this year. The five-time champions are currently languishing at the bottom of the points table this season and need something miraculous to make it to the last four from here.

They started off the season with a win against arch-rivals Mumbai Indians at Chepauk, but since then, their weaknesses have been exposed match after match. Their batting line-up didn't look well equipped for the fast-paced T20 format as the likes of Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar and Rahul Tripathi have failed to add the much-needed firepower in their middle-order. The over-reliance on Shivam Dube to hit big shots in the middle overs has also put them under the scanner. Meanwhile, the injury to Ruturaj Gaikwad forced them to return to their five-time IPL-winning skipper MS Dhoni, which many thought could be a blessing in disguise, but the fortunes didn't change. They have won just two out of their nine matches so far.

Former India cricketer Ajay Jadeja addressed Chennai's woes for the past two seasons and said that the 2024 season was an emotional one for them after triumph in 2023 but he didn't mince his words while criticising them for this year's downfall.

“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,” Ajay Jadeja, JioStar Expert, replied to Hindustan Times' query during a selected media interaction on upcoming key clashes as teams race to the TATA IPL play-offs.

He pointed out that it's the auction where Chennai failed to acquire enough firepower which is the reason behind their big downfall this season.

“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,” he added.

"Conway came to three games, Rachin is now out"

Jadeja also pointed out the uncertainty in the Chennai Super Kings' combination this year, as they have been making many chopping and changing this season, which is something new. The five-time champions were known to back their players before this season, which Jadeja also mentioned, but the poor results and lack of firepower have forced them to make constant changes.

“Chennai, over the years, I've been following them so much, they would stick. I don't know if you remember that it was Shane Watson, who struggled all the way to the final, but he still played all those games. This year, Conway came to three games, Rachin is now out. So that is something new that I'm seeing with them. I don't know why, but maybe because of the uncertainty at the auction that happened this time, this is also what we are seeing,” he concluded.

Catch Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders at 7:30 PM tomorrow, as teams race to the TATA IPL play-offs, live and exclusive on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network