New Delhi: The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 concluded with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru securing their second consecutive title. Other notable teams, including Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals, and Gujarat Titans, advanced to the knockout stages of the tournament.
Amid these developments, the five-time champion Chennai Super Kings (CSK) attracted significant attention. The team experienced a rocky start to the season, struggling to secure wins early on. However, CSK managed to recover and finished in eighth place, recording six victories against eight losses.
Former Indian cricketer and CSK legend Ravichandran Ashwin criticized the team’s auction strategy following their lackluster performance. “Auction strategies need to be reworked. Two teams picked Venkatesh Iyer and Jason Holder for 7 crores each and made the final. Instead of picking two players for 14 crores each, they should have opted for these two to achieve a combination of youth and experience. They didn’t gel as a team and had roles that lacked clarity,” Ashwin stated in a video on his YouTube channel.
He further noted, “Other teams faced injuries before the season, but for CSK, injuries are not new. Their players suffered injuries after the season commenced. Despite their efforts, they were unable to overcome these setbacks, which remain a persistent issue. They provided the wrong insertion points for many players. Using Brevis and Dube as finishers indicates that their decision-making was lopsided.”
Another significant topic of discussion following the conclusion of IPL 2026 revolves around former Indian captain MS Dhoni’s future with CSK. Dhoni was part of the team during the 2026 season but did not participate due to injury.
With the season now complete, there is uncertainty regarding whether the former skipper will return for the next edition of the tournament in 2027. Fans of the yellow army will be watching closely for developments in the coming months.
