IPL 2025: Chennai Super Kings missing a trick with the use of Ravi Ashwin?

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are the most successful franchise in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) alongside the Mumbai Indians (MI) as they have won as many as five trophies each. However, things have not worked out in an ideal manner for the Chennai Super Kings so far in this ongoing IPL 2025 season. After a brilliant victory over Mumbai Indians in the El Clasico, the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led CSK team suffered two consecutive defeats at the hands of Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in their previous two games. Chennai Super Kings are currently placed at the seventh spot on the IPL 2025 points table with just a single win from three matches.

Chennai Super Kings team management looked quite satisfied when they picked senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin during the IPL 2025 mega auction at a whopping price of INR 9.75 Crore. However, it has not been the best of homecoming for the veteran Indian cricketer. Ashwin has bowled a total of 10 overs from 3 matches for Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2025 where he has picked as many as 3 wickets. But, the right-arm offie has been really expensive while bowling in the first six overs of the powerplay and his overall economy rate of 9.90 has not been ideal either. Moreover, he has been smashed for a total of 49 runs in the three overs bowled in the powerplay so far this year. 

Former Indian cricketer Kris Srikkanth has suggested that the Chennai Super Kings team management should utilise Ravichandran Ashwin after the first six overs of the powerplay as he will be more effective in the later stages of the game. Srikkanth also noted that the five-time champions should bring in New Zealand batter Devon Conway in place of Jamie Overton who replaced Sam Curran in the CSK playing XI against Rajasthan Royals. 

“Conway has to come in place of Jamie Overton and also bring in Anshul Kamboj into the XI. With regards to Ashwin, don’t drop him, but stop him from bowling in the powerplay. Between 7-18th over he can be effective, with Jadeja and Noor Ahmad, they can easily slip in 10 overs at least. I will drop Tripathi and bring in Kamboj and then Conway in place of Overton,” former Indian cricketer Kris Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.

The former Indian opener noted that Chennai should bring back Shivam Dube in the CSK playing 11 and instead use someone like Andre Siddarth as the Impact Player. He mentioned that left-arm pacer Mukesh Chowdhary can also be a really good option. Chennai Super Kings will be playing their fourth match in this T20 tournament agaainst the Delhi Capitals (DC) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on 5 April, 2025. 

“I would make Shivam Dube play in the XI and bring in Andre Siddarth as an Impact Player. Even Mukesh Chowdhary is a good option, he has bowled well for CSK in the past,” Srikkanth added.