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Suresh Raina has pointed the finger at Chennai Super Kings (CSK) management as the primary reason for the team's struggles in the ongoing IPL 2025 season. According to Raina, the legendary MS Dhoni had minimal involvement in CSK's auction strategy, a decision that has seemingly backfired and left the team desperately searching for form throughout the current campaign.
Suresh Raina feels CSK management is responsible for their dismal outing in IPL 2025
CSK's IPL 2025 journey has been far from what their loyal fans have come to expect. A series of underwhelming performances has left the team teetering on the brink of playoff elimination. Their recent five-wicket loss to the Sunrisers Hyderabad marked their seventh defeat of the season and, more worryingly, their fourth consecutive loss on their home ground at Chepauk. In a clear indication of their desperation to discover a winning formula, CSK has already utilised a significant portion of their squad, fielding 20 out of their 27 players. Their most recent match saw them hand a debut to Dewald Brevis and elevate Ayush Mhatre, the youngest player in their history, to the crucial opening position. However, these changes, while perhaps signaling a willingness to experiment, ultimately failed to reverse their current misfortunes.
"Kashi sir - I think he has been handling the administration for almost 30 to 40 years now. And Rupa Ma'am is managing all the cricket administration - buying the players, maintaining the core group. But everyone knows that the players bought this time weren't selected properly," Suresh Raina said while speaking on Star Sports.
Suresh Raina directly contradicted the widely held perception that Dhoni is the central figure orchestrating every move the CSK make at the IPL auctions. In his assessment of the team's current struggles, Raina explicitly stated that Dhoni's involvement in shaping CSK's auction strategy for the 2025 season was limited.
"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 added.
Raina was forthright in drawing attention to the stark contrast between MS Dhoni's dedication to the team and what he perceived as a lack of similar commitment from other individuals within CSK setup. Raina's statement suggests a disparity in effort and perhaps accountability, with Dhoni being a clear standout in his level of investment and concern for the team's performance, while others may not be demonstrating the same level of dedication during this challenging season.
"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 Rs 18 crores, Rs 17 crores, Rs 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," he further stated.
In his final remarks, Suresh Raina hinted at the possibility of significant changes within the Chennai Super Kings organization in response to their disappointing IPL 2025 performance. Raina went a step further by implying that this potential overhaul could be spearheaded by none other than MS Dhoni himself. This suggestion indicates a belief that Dhoni, despite his perceived limited involvement in the auction strategy, might take a leading role in reshaping the team's composition and approach moving forward.
"I think MS Dhoni will now sit down - he won't want anyone around him. 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," Raina concluded.
Despite the fact that CSK still have five matches remaining in the IPL 2025 season, their chances of securing a playoff spot appear to be virtually impossible at this juncture.
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