Rayudu’s assessment came after CSK’s nine-wicket defeat against MI at the Wankhede Stadium.
Former India cricketer Ambati Rayudu, who often faces trolling on social media for being a Chennai Super Kings (CSK) loyalist, has admitted that the franchise has no chance to make the IPL 2025 playoffs.
Rayudu’s comment came after CSK’s crushing nine-wicket defeat against Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday (April 20). It was their sixth defeat in eight matches this season, and the five-time champions continue to languish at the bottom of the 10-team points table.
CSK failed to get a positive start from their openers, but debutant Ayush Mhatre showed some promise with a knock of 32 in 15 balls before Ravindra Jadeja and Shivam Dube struck half-centuries to propel the side to 176/5 in 20 overs.
In reply, MI overhauled the target with 26 deliveries to spare, courtesy of Rohit Sharma’s 45-ball 76 and Suryakumar Yadav’s 30-ball 68.
"I don't see them coming back this season. Even Dhoni acknowledged that in his post-match comments - saying they're already looking ahead to the next season. They'll want to groom young players and build a culture of fearless, not reckless, cricket. They must play with more positive intent. Perhaps someone like Ayush Mhatre could get a full run from here on," said Rayudu on JioHotstar.
Commenting on CSK's performance and what went wrong, Rayudu said the five-time champions lacked intent in the clash.
"It was those middle overs - around seven overs for just 35 runs - that cost them. No one plays like that anymore in T20 cricket. The game has evolved, and even during the middle overs, teams need to score at a healthy strike rate. CSK lacked intent. You can lose a game, but you have to fight. You can't just try to coast through a phase and hope to finish strong later. That pitch needed at least 190 to be competitive, and what CSK posted wasn't even par. It was below-par batting during the crucial middle phase," he remarked.
On Rohit's return to form, Rayudu said the opening batter looked hungry for runs and delivered a big knock which was expected from him.
"I think he took a little time to get going, but played some fantastic shots through the off-side. He wasn't just trying to pull everything to the on-side. He has scored a lot of runs before, but today he looked hungry," Rayudu stated.
"He wanted to spend time in the middle and finish the game for Mumbai Indians. Knowing Rohit, he's never too far from big knocks, and with the business end of the tournament approaching, these kinds of innings will boost not just his confidence but also of the Mumbai Indians' dugout and management," he added.
(With PTI Inputs)