Chennai Super Kings ran out of patience with Ravichandran Ashwin after his below-par performances, and the spinner was dropped from the playing XI in IPL 2025. He played seven matches and took just five wickets. The decision-makers had spent INR 9.75 crore on the legendary bowler in the auction, and the player thanked MS Dhoni for bringing him back to the franchise where he started his IPL career.
However, Harbhajan Singh, who doesn’t have a friendly relationship with Ashwin, came out in his support after the CSK vs PBKS match at Chepauk.
“Chennai didn’t select the team based on conditions. Had Noor Ahmad, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja played together against Punjab Kings, Chennai Super Kings could have won the match. You didn’t pay INR 10 crore for Ashwin to bench him. I don’t know why he is not playing, but it seems he might have fought with someone,” Harbhajan Singh said.
“He is not the only one who hasn’t performed. Others are still playing despite their ordinary performances, but Ashwin is out of the team. He should have played against Punjab, as the ball was spinning,” he added.
Chennai have been eliminated from the playoff race after eight defeats and just two wins from their 10 matches. They will play for pride in the remaining four contests.
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