Veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh didn’t hold back while sharing his thoughts on Chennai Super Kings’ struggles in IPL 2025. Speaking candidly on JioHotstar, Harbhajan said that CSK might have beaten Punjab Kings had they fielded all three spinners—Noor Ahmad, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja—together. Instead, the team persisted with a combination that hasn’t clicked, and it’s reflected in their dismal record of just two wins in 10 games.
CSK’s age-heavy strategy has seemingly backfired this season. The older core, which once provided stability and experience, has shown signs of slowing down. Among those under the scanner is Ravichandran Ashwin, who started the season quietly, picking up only five wickets in seven matches at an expensive economy of 9.29—before being dropped. But Harbhajan believes there’s more to the story than just performance.
“You don’t pay ₹10 crore for Ashwin to bench him. I don’t know the full story, but it looks like there might’ve been a fallout,” Harbhajan Singh remarked, hinting at possible off-field issues that could be keeping Ashwin out of the XI.
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He further argued that Ashwin shouldn’t have been singled out. “There are others in the squad who haven’t performed either, but they continue to play. Ashwin should have featured in the Punjab match—conditions were spin-friendly,” Harbhajan Singh emphasized.
Ravichandran Ashwin was expected to be a part of a potent spin trio with Jadeja and Noor Ahmad. While Noor has impressed with his guile and flight, the Indian veterans haven’t quite hit their stride, which has further dented CSK’s playoff hopes.
As Chennai prepare for their next game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on May 3, they’re playing for pride. Rooted to the bottom of the table, CSK now have little to gain other than salvaging their reputation and avoiding a wooden spoon finish.
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Meanwhile, RCB captain Rajat Patidar will look to capitalise on CSK’s underwhelming bowling attack, barring the likes of Khaleel Ahmed and Noor. For Chennai, the onus will be on batters like Ayush Mhatre, Sam Curran, Dewald Brevis, and Shivam Dube to give MS Dhoni the kind of platform he thrives on during the death overs.
