'MS Dhoni knows CSK didn't buy properly': Raina claims MSD 'wouldn't have allowed such auction' in chilling revelation
CSK have used 20 out of their 27-player squad so far, and are trying their best to get their campaign back on track.
After crashing to their seventh defeat of the ongoing IPL 2025 season, CSK are very close to missing out on playoff contention. The franchise lost to SRH by five wickets on Friday, and are bottom of the standings with four points in nine fixtures. It has been a disappointing season for CSK, which has been further hit by the earlier campaign ending injury to skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad.
CSK have used 20 out of their 27-player squad so far, and are trying their best to get their campaign back on track. Against SRH, Dewald Brevis was handed a debut, and Ayush Mhatre was promoted to the opener slot.
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Suresh Raina slams CSK
Speaking on Star Sports, former CSK player Suresh Raina blamed the auction strategy and made a bombshell revelation.
“They always say MS Dhoni makes the final call. But to be very honest, I never attended any of the auctions. I was never a part of those discussions. I always talked about the players who were retained. MS might get a call about whether to go ahead with a player or not - but he's not that involved,” he said.
Explaining how CSK's auction strategy functions, he said, “The core group handles the auction - you can imagine, Dhoni can’t have this type of auction. He would maybe name four or five players he wants, and out of them, a few would be retained. Even if an uncapped player is working hard, look at MS Dhoni-—being a 43-year-old captain, still giving everything.”
“He's playing just for the brand, for his name, for the fandom - and still putting in the effort. At 43, he's doing wicketkeeping, captaining, carrying the entire team on his shoulders. But what are the other ten players doing?
“Those who are paid ₹18 crores, ₹17 crores, ₹12 crores - they're not responding to the captain. Especially when you've never lost to certain teams before - that needs to be rectified. You have to identify - is this player a match-winner? Can I trust this player in the next match? There are players who've been playing there for years - even the older ones. But what are the results? You're losing. The same mistakes are happening every time.
“I think MS Dhoni will now sit down - he won't want anyone around him. He knows CSK didn't buy properly in auction. He wouldn't have allowed it. He must have made up his mind. "After the toss, when they lost, the way he walked - and both of them were standing there - it's clear there's going to be a meeting today,” he added.
In the past, whenever CSK have gone through a poor season, they have often made a late comeback and have ended up winning the title. But now it looks like it's too late, as they only have five more games remaining.
