3 major concerns for CSK after back-to-back defeats in IPL 2025 ft. Ruturaj Gaikwad's captaincy

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) suffered their second consecutive defeat in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) on Sunday, March 30, going down to the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Guwahati. RR had not won a single match in IPL 2025, but they managed to beat five-time champions CSK at the ACA Stadium.

CSK started their season with a win against the Mumbai Indians, but after that, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated them at Chepauk for the first time since 2008. Riyan Parag then won his first ever match as an IPL captain, leading RR to a win against CSK.

Looking at the team's recent defeats, a majority of CSK's fans are concerned about the team's future in IPL 2025. Here are the three biggest areas of concern for the Chennai Super Kings.

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#1 Ruturaj Gaikwad's captaincy

CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has made some questionable decisions in IPL 2025. There was a time CSK would back their players to the hilt, but the new skipper has already given up on Deepak Hooda and Sam Curran after just two matches.

In the match against RCB, Gaikwad gave the ball to left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja against out-of-form left-handed batter Devdutt Padikkal.

Prior to the match against CSK, Padikkal had not scored more than 13 runs in any of his last eight innings, but he took advantage of Jadeja's left-arm spin and smashed 27 runs off 14 balls.

Also, it is baffling to see Gaikwad not opening the innings when he has won an Orange Cap batting at that position for CSK. The statement from skipper Gaikwad that his team lost by "just 50 runs" after the RCB loss also angered some CSK fans because this was their largest margin of defeat at Chepauk.

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#2 Anshul Kamboj's absence

CSK have a reliable new-ball bowler in Khaleel Ahmed, but the left-arm fast bowler has not received proper support from the other end. While Sam Curran could have done a better job if given a longer rope, the team management left him out of the playing XI for Jamie Overton, who leaked 30 runs in his two overs against RR.

With Anshul Kamboj available for selection, CSK should have considered giving him a chance ahead of Jamie Overton. It would have also freed up an overseas spot, allowing Devon Conway to open with Gaikwad instead of a struggling Rahul Tripathi. Kamboj can bowl well in the powerplay, and his all-round skills will also provide more balance to the CSK lineup in IPL 2025.

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#3 Ravindra Jadeja's role in CSK's IPL 2025 batting lineup

Ravindra Jadeja has so far batted at number six once and at seven twice in IPL 2025. It is now evident that he cannot strike the ball from the get go, but can hold on to one end.

CSK have tried Vijay Shankar and Deepak Hooda in the middle-order, but instead, they should go with Ravindra Jadeja in that role. He can bat at four, keep the scoreboard ticking and accelerate in the slog overs.

Perhaps, CSK can go with Gaikwad, Conway, Rachin and Jadeja as their top four. Big-hitters Sam Curran, Shivam Dube and MS Dhoni can follow in the batting lineup, with specialist bowling options being Kamboj, Ashwin, Noor Ahmad and Khaleel Ahmed.

However, Jadeja has had a terrible time facing spin bowling since IPL 2022, striking at below 110 against spinners. Therefore, this experiment could very well backfire.