Chennai Super Kings finished eighth in the IPL 2026. They were below par across departments, and the lack of experience resulted in their downfall. Their new signing, Sanju Samson, was impressive while the others lacked consistency. With points from 14 matches. CSK recorded another ordinary season. Former Chennai spinner Ravichandran Ashwin lauded the likes of Sanju Samson, Akeal Hosein, and Anshul Kamboj but urged the franchise to rework their auction strategies.

“They need to change their strategies in the auction. RCB and GT bought Venkatesh Iyer and Jason Holder for INR 7 crore each, and they made it to the final of the IPL 2026. Instead of spending INR 14 crore each on two young Indian players, they should have gone for these two experienced players to add experience to their side. CSK didn’t gel as a team and had clarity issues,” Ashwin said.

“There were franchises that were impacted by injuries. However, injuries were not new for CSK. Their players got injured even before the start of the season. Despite trying their best, they couldn’t overcome injuries, which was a problem for them. They made wrong decisions during the matches. Using Dewald Brevis and Shivam Dube as finishers was not the right call,” he added.

CSK’s legendary wicket-keeper MS Dhoni didn’t play a match due to injuries in the 19th season of the tournament. However, he helped the players from behind the scenes, and several teammates spoke about his suggestions during the course of the league. According to CSK head coach Stephen Fleming, Dhoni was involved with the team, and his continued guidance was inspirational for the youngsters.

“MS Dhoni was around this year as well. It helped the team and the players. He was a big part and is still a big influence on the team,” Fleming said.