Former India player Aakash Chopra has added that the CSK have started investing in youth after facing a horror start to their campaign in IPL 2025. He said that even MS Dhoni acknowledged in the post-match interview that they are trying to build a team for the next year as well. However, CSK faced a nine-wicket defeat to the Mumbai Indians (MI). They posted a below-par total of 176/5 after being asked to bat first, which MI easily chased with 26 deliveries in hand.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel ‘Aakash Chopra’, he said, “When I look at it from Chennai’s perspective, they have started going young. That change is visible. They are assembling a lot of 20-year-old kids, whether it’s Shaik Rasheed, Ayush Mhatre, Noor Ahmad, (Matheesha) Pathirana or Anshul Kamboj. They are taking a complete turn, and Dhoni also said that. I think he is resigned to the fate that this team is not going anywhere. So they are trying that even if they spend money and release a few players, their core shouldn’t change.”

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While talking about CSK’s batting in Sunday’s game, Aakash Chopra praised Ayush Mhatre (32 off 15) for playing a stunning knock.

“Ayush Mhatre is otherwise a Mumbai boy, but was playing for Chennai. He plays extremely well. He is a 17-year-old kid. His grandfather had started dreaming when he was six years old. His parents used to scold his grandfather that he would spoil his studies. Now, everybody is very happy that the boy is playing. How well he plays. He is actually Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s under-19 opening partner, and the guy has the might. As long as he played, he played class. He pulled the short ball straight. He is a proper, proper batter,” Aakash Chopra concluded.