Why Ravichandran Ashwin Will Not Play for CSK in IPL 2026?

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have been one of the most dominant teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL) history. After Mumbai Indians (MI), CSK is the only team to have won the IPL title five times. Apart from that, they have also won the Champions League twice. Former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who is the most successful IPL captain of all time, is one of the main reasons behind these trophies.

However, after he passed on the captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad, things haven't been going well for the team. They failed to qualify for the playoffs in 2024 as they lost their last game against RCB. They suffered another failure in IPL 2025 as they failed to qualify for the playoffs again and finished last in the points table.

One of the reasons for their failure is their selection process during the auction. The CSK team management have relied on picking up experienced players but their lack of faith in youngsters have often cost them. One of these picks was Ravichandran Ashwin, one of the best spinners in world cricket, but failed to make an impression in the previous edition of IPL.

Is Ravichandran Ashwin CSK Career Over?

While Ravichandran Ashwin has a history with the CSK, some reports have surfaced on social media regarding the spinner leaving the franchise ahead of the IPL 2026. According to Cricbuzz, Ashwin has informed the management regarding his decision to leave the franchise, and now everything depends on MS Dhoni and Ruturaj Gaikwad.

Ashwin hasn't revealed the reason behind this decision yet. R Ashwin CSK performance in IPL 2025 wasn't great, and most likely, that can be the reason behind this sudden decision. Moreover, Ashwin is also likely to give up his role as the Director of Operations at the CSK Academy. After leaving Chennai Super Kings, he is likely to play for the other franchise in the upcoming IPL season.

Hence, the former India offspinner has decided to avoid such a situation and leave his role. Ravichandran Ashwin IPL 2026 participation remains unclear as of now. He can either get traded to another franchise or wait for the mini-auction later this year. The CSK fan base wouldn't be happy with the news, as they have a strong bond with the spinner. He was with the franchise from 2008 to 2015, and then played for several other franchises in the league.

Ruturaj Gaikwad to Meet CSK Management

As per reports, CSK management, along with Ruturaj Gaikwad and MS Dhoni, had a meeting on Thursday. All the top officials have been meeting for a few days to discuss CSK's future and the upcoming mini auction. With Ashwin leaving, CSK will have a good purse amount for the auction, but they'll have to invest in some of the best players of the league. The Super Kings lack strikers and middle-order batters, which was their main concern in IPL 2025.

Apart from that, the bowling attack looks weak as well. Moreover, CSK's fielding was another issue in the IPL 2025. Keeping everything in mind, the management will need to plan their purchases in the mini auction. Since they finished in the last position, they will hope to come back hard for the next season.

CSK are known for making comebacks in the league, so the fans would be optimistic about their team's performance in the upcoming year. They are one of the most followed teams in IPL history and have a huge fan base to support them. Some wise decisions in the auction will work well for their future.