Former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina has cast doubt on MS Dhoni’s involvement in Chennai Super Kings’ auction decisions, suggesting the legendary captain had little influence this time around.
According to Raina, looking at CSK’s struggles in IPL 2025, it doesn’t seem like Dhoni had a say in the squad’s composition, a departure from what used to be a regular consultation process.
Speaking on Star Sports, Raina shared that while he was never part of CSK’s auction meetings, the management always used to reach out to Dhoni for inputs.
“They (management) always make a call to MS I remember that. I was never close to the auction planning, to be very honest. I never had a discussion with the management regarding all of this,” he said.
This time, though, Raina feels the selection decisions do not reflect Dhoni’s typical approach.
“MS used to get a call sometimes, whether to get a player or not, or make a bid, but he was never fully involved. The manner with which they did this auction, you can imagine, Dhoni aisa auction kar hi nahi sakta (Dhoni can never do an auction like this). He will mention the 4-5 players that he wants, that is it,” Raina added.
CSK’s ongoing season has been filled with struggles, forcing the franchise to bring in several replacement players as injuries and form concerns pile up.
With only two wins so far, Chennai Super Kings are staring at the possibility of missing the playoffs for a second consecutive year — a situation the franchise has never faced before.
Raina, who has been vocal about the team’s problems throughout the season, was particularly scathing after their latest loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad.
He pointed out the pressure piling on Dhoni, who, at 43, is still leading the team from behind the stumps.
“A 43-year-old captain, who is playing as a brand and for fandom, is putting in the effort. He is keeping wickets at this age, captaining the side, taking the entire weight of the team on his shoulders,” Raina said.
He also criticised the younger stars for not stepping up despite their hefty price tags.
“What are the other 10 players doing? The 18 crore, 17 crore, 12 crore players are not responding to the captain,” he added.
With playoff hopes hanging by a thread and morale visibly dipping, Chennai’s season looks set for a disappointing end unless a major turnaround comes quickly.
