After the Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) devastating loss to Punjab Kings (PBKS) at Chepauk in the ongoing IPL 2026 on April 3, former India spinner R Ashwin did not hold back in his criticism of the team, saying it was "painful to watch" his former squad suffer.
In an emotional response, Ashwin stated that he could not overlook the decline in standards but was prepared to take criticism for speaking up.
CSK have lost both their first two games, where against RR, their batting failed, posting only 141 runs. Then, in their recent match, though the batters posted 209/5 in 20 overs, the bowlers couldn’t contain the PBKS batters. Priyansh Arya’s 11-ball 39 deflated CSK inside the first 10 overs, and PBKS just easily chased the total.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin shared a heartfelt take on the team’s performance.
“No offence — I don’t blame any player. But from the outside, it’s hard to watch at times. You know what kind of team this used to be, once? Watching the match today from the stadium, from the commentary box, for the first time with a straight view — I felt it," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
"People can say whatever they want; I don’t care. You can judge me, abuse me however you like; it doesn’t matter. For me, Chennai is a matter of pride. Think whatever you want; it doesn’t bother me. But when I watched this team today, by the 15th over, everyone’s shoulders had dropped. It was painful to watch. Really painful. With inexperienced players, you can see it in their body language — the atmosphere becomes clear. It was genuinely disappointing,” he added.
Ashwin also mentioned MS Dhoni's absence as a possible factor influencing the team's mindset. Dhoni, who is now sidelined with a calf injury and has been steadily reducing his on-field role, leaves a significant hole in leadership and presence.
“Bring that culture back. I still believe this team can make the top four. I’m confident — they just need to get things right. One small regret today — MS Dhoni wasn’t at the ground. If he were there, players like these would benefit. His presence in the dressing room changes the vibe completely,” Ashwin said.
“When I watch cricket, the place I played, the team I represented — nothing is bigger for me than Tamil Nadu. The biggest regret of my life is not being able to win the Ranji Trophy for Tamil Nadu. Not doing anything for India is not my regret — not doing it for Tamil Nadu is. I don’t want any player to go through phases where the identity of the team starts slipping. This team had a culture, and that’s what needs to come back,” he added.
CSK are at the bottom of the points table, and to make things worse, their net run rate of -2.562 is currently the worst in the competition. With a challenging clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru coming up, CSK find themselves under early pressure to arrest the slide.
