IPL 2026: ‘This is not Dhoni’s CSK’ – Ravichandran Ashwin urges major overhaul after elimination

Ravichandran Ashwin believes Chennai Super Kings must undergo a significant overhaul in both strategy and squad construction after their IPL 2026 campaign ended with a humiliating 89-run loss to Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on Thursday, May 21.

Ashwin said the franchise could no longer rely on the formula that delivered prolonged success during the MS Dhoni era. According to him, Chennai now requires greater quality, experience, and overall balance across all departments. While acknowledging the excitement surrounding young talent, Ashwin emphasised that experience remains indispensable in a demanding tournament like the IPL.

“Honestly, I will say this openly, CSK has to invest in quality. They have to invest in quality cricketers. I mean, make a quality team. With experience. Bowling experience. Variety in fast bowlers. Variety in spinners. A team has to be formed in a good way,” said Ashwin on his YouTube channel.

“Young talent, exuberance of youth, as Ravi (Shastri) bhai says, it excites. But along with that, if there is experience in your team, that is a lethal combination. This is not Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings. Not at all. That time has changed. And you have to keep in mind that success will come. But it will come slowly,” he added.

The off-spinner also questioned whether CSK had assembled a squad genuinely suited to conditions at Chepauk, a venue where the franchise built much of its success over the years. He noted that batting successfully in Chennai demands patience, game awareness, and adaptability rather than relying solely on power hitting.

“Actually, honestly speaking, Shivam Dube’s batting was very positive for Chennai,” Ashwin said. “But I have an observation. I think the squad that is picked to play in their home game, in Chepauk, I think it is not suiting them,” said Ashwin.

“Whenever I think of Badrinath, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Shane Watson, Michael Hussey — players like them — I feel that to bat in Chepauk’s conditions, you have to do a little attritional batting. You don’t have a wicket to hit through the line like this,” he added.