Ajay Jadeja blames CSK’s auction blunder for side’s downfall in IPL 2025, says ‘I am also a little disappointed’

New Delhi: Chennai Super Kings’ playoff hopes are again dashed, following a second consecutive season of struggles. Last year, they finished fifth after a close contest; this year, their performance has significantly deteriorated, leaving them at the bottom of the standings with little chance of postseason qualification.

Chennai’s strong start, a victory over Mumbai Indians, quickly faded as their flaws became apparent. Their batting struggled in the T20 format, with middle-order batsmen like Hooda, Shankar, and Tripathi underperforming. Overdependence on Dube for big hits also proved problematic. While Dhoni’s return due to Gaikwad’s injury was anticipated to help, it hasn’t significantly improved their performance; they’ve only won two of their nine games.

Ajay Jadeja commented on Chennai’s inconsistent performance over the past two seasons, noting the emotional contrast between their 2023 victory and their 2024 struggles. He offered frank criticism of their recent decline.

“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 said.

Chennai’s poor performance this season is attributed to their insufficient player acquisitions at the auction.

“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.

Ajay Jadeja noted the unusual instability in Chennai Super Kings’ team composition this season. Unlike previous years where they consistently supported their players, the team’s underperformance and lack of offensive strength have necessitated frequent lineup 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.

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