There is no second thought about saying MS Dhoni is the main pillar of CSK, who has tightened the knot of the yellow army’s success and made the IPL fans believe Chennai is the ultimate synonym of success. In recent years, MS Dhoni has stepped down from the responsibilities and put the gun on the shoulder of Ruturaj Gaikwad, just like any other transition phase. CSK is facing trouble, but the lack of planning in the 2025 mega auction led towards a complete revamp in the philosophy of the team, and they heavily invested in youth, which caused an utter imbalance in the team, and injuries to key players also made trouble for them.
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So, the absence of CSK’s radar is not the main problem. The yellow army is facing the result of the mistakes they made in the mega auction, and that is what is making the difference.
What is happening with CSK?
In 2025, CSK tried to build a team with experienced and proven IPL players, just like they do every time, but they failed to translate the planning into the field. Also, releasing players does not help in the mini auction. In the 2026 auction, CSK spent 70 per cent of their purse for two young guns who are rated highly in the domestic circuit, but CSK failed to buy the right backups. Before the start of IPL, Nathan Ellis was ruled out for the whole tournament, adding to that, Dewald Bravis and MS Dhoni himself were ruled out for the first few matches.
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It became challenging for Ruturaj as there is no one to guide him on using young guns, and that created a massive vacuum in every match they have played so far.
Is MS Dhoni’s absence the main problem?
The answer is simply NO, as CSK has built a team of their own. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sanju Samson have failed to become a pair so far; the on-field body language looked off from every player. Dhoni has indeed remained one of the key players for the franchise, and he will serve this team forever, but if any team fails to execute their bowling in the first and last six overs, it is itself a problem. Dhoni can manage this situation better by slowing down the game; however, the CSK management really needs to reconsider their foreign players.
