Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was signed by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for Rs 9.75 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction, marking his return to the franchise after a decade. However, he hasn’t lived up to the expectations so far, having claimed five wickets in six matches at an economy rate of 9.90.

CSK suffered a crushing eight-wicket defeat in their last fixture against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Chepauk, where Ashwin returned with the figures of 3-0-30-0.

Meanwhile, former Indian cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra has spoken in the criticism of Ashwin, saying that the senior off-spinner's struggles have only added salt to CSK's wounds.

"Chennai have to ask themselves this question - and R Ashwin as well: The way they bowled to Sunil Narine... Look, they couldn't have won the match. But they could have gained some confidence with the ball," said Chopra.

"They could have tried to execute their plans better. Not only did they lose the match, they also lost bowling confidence. That's not good.

"Ashwin gave away 30 runs in three overs. I mean, Ashwin hasn't bowled well throughout the season. He just adds salt to the wounds," he added.

Ashwin, who announced his retirement from international cricket midway through the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia last December, has also failed to contribute with the bat. Against KKR, he walked in at No. 6 and managed just 1 run off seven deliveries.

CSK had pinned high hopes on their spin trio of Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Noor Ahmed - expecting it to be a lethal force in IPL 2025. However, it's only Noor who has delivered consistently for the team.

The Afghan wrist-spinner has already claimed 12 wickets this season, while Ashwin and Jadeja have managed just seven between them across six matches.

On the other hand, CSK are languishing at the bottom of the 10-team points table with only victory to their name from 6 outings. The five-time champions will next face Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Monday (April 14).