Kris Srikkanth, a former Indian cricketer and member of the 1983 World Cup-winning team, believes that Ravichandran Ashwin should be left out of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) lineup for their upcoming IPL 2025 match against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). After suffering consecutive losses, the five-time champions find themselves at the bottom of the points table.

Ruturaj Gaikwad has been sidelined for IPL 2025 due to a hairline fracture in his elbow just before the match against the defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders, leading to MS Dhoni stepping in as the temporary captain. Unfortunately, CSK faced a tough defeat at Chepauk, with Ajinkya Rahane and his team securing a convincing eight-wicket victory.

Ashwin has struggled to make an impact in this season's IPL. In the recent game against KKR, he gave away 30 runs without taking any wickets, and Sunil Narine took advantage of his bowling. So far this season, Ashwin has managed to claim just five wickets across six matches.

On his YouTube channel, Kris Srikkanth expressed his thoughts, saying, "I expected our bowling lineup to be strong. I thought CSK would pose a challenge for visiting teams in Chennai with their three top-notch spinners. We all assumed CSK would depend on their bowling to secure wins after setting scores around 180 at home."

"However, that strategy has completely fallen apart. Ashwin's performance has been disappointing. He's not bowling well at all. Given his current form, I doubt he should be in the XI for the next match. In my opinion, he needs to be dropped," he concluded.

Let Ashwin take a break

The former Indian opener thinks that Ashwin will truly grasp the importance of his spot in the team once he gets benched. He also feels that Jadeja needs to elevate his game since he hasn't been performing well.

"I've always supported Ashwin, but now I think it's time for him to sit out for a few games. Only then will he realize how crucial his position is and come back even stronger," Srikkanth mentioned.

"Jadeja isn't playing at his best, and Ashwin's bowling has been subpar. I want him to be dropped, but I'm not sure if CSK will actually do it. Their next match is against LSG, who have several left-handed batsmen. It'll be interesting to see if CSK makes a bold decision and leaves him out," he continued.

CSK has been quite set in their strategy throughout the tournament, with Ashwin continuing to bowl during the powerplay despite consistently giving away runs.

The team has lost their last five games, and they haven't successfully chased a target over 180 since the 2021 IPL season.

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