Ambati Rayudu, a former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) player, expressed his disappointment with the team’s batters, following their lackluster performance against Mumbai Indians (MI) in IPL 2025. CSK were defeated by nine wickets after posting 176 runs, having lost the toss. Debutant Ayush Mhatre gave a strong start in the powerplay, but after his dismissal, the game slowed. Jadeja and Dube failed to hit boundaries, and the team lacked intent, making it hard to reach 200+ runs. Even in the death overs, they couldn’t capitalise, and posted a below-par total.
The former CSK batter emphasised the importance of maintaining a good strike rate during the middle overs, particularly on a flat pitch where the ball comes onto the bat nicely.
“The middle overs really let them down as the managed 35 runs from seven overs. T20 cricket has evolved, and nowadays, teams have to maintain a healthy strike rate, even in the middle phase. CSK simply didn’t display enough aggression. Sure, you can lose a game, but you should always keep fighting. You can’t just aim to get through a phase hoping to make a late charge. The pitch was good to post 190 runs but CSK failed to get going. Their batting in the middle overs was not impressive,” he said on JioHotstar.
He feels CSK will find it tough to make it to the playoffs, having won two out of eight matches.
“I don’t see them making a comeback this season. Even Dhoni himself mentioned in his post-match remarks that they’re already looking forward to the next season. Their focus should now shift to developing young players and building a culture of fearless cricket, without being reckless, of course. They need to approach the game with more positive intent. Players like Ayush Mhatre could get more opportunities going forward,” he added.
Earlier, former Chennai players Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh had questioned the performance of the franchise.
