IPL 2025: 'I have never seen...' - CSK legend Suresh Raina shocked, Harbhajan Singh asks serious Questions

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Chennai Super Kings legend Suresh Raina has lamented poor auction strategy as the main reason for their downfall in the ongoing IPL 2025 season.

IPL 2025 has turned into a nightmare for the five-time champions, who currently sit rock-bottom on the points table with just two wins in eight games. And now, one of their greatest icons, Suresh Raina, has sounded the alarm.

While on commentary during CSK's crushing nine-wicket defeat at the hands of Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium, Raina couldn't hide his disbelief. What he witnessed from the commentary box left him stunned, triggering one of the most scathing assessments ever made by a former CSK player.

"I have never seen a CSK team struggle like this," Raina said on Star Sports, voicing what many die-hard Chennai fans have been quietly fearing for weeks.

CSK's aura of invincibility has worn thin. With Ruturaj Gaikwad sidelined due to injury, the 43-year-old MS Dhoni has been forced to step back into leadership. But even his legendary calm hasn't been enough to steady the sinking ship. The team appears tactically flat, bereft of creativity, and lacking a spark in the middle order.

For Raina, who served CSK with distinction for over a decade and was the backbone of their golden era, the downfall has a clear cause-poor planning at the auction.

"I think, from the coach and the management, the auction has not gone well this year," Raina said.

"There were so many youngsters, talented players in the auction, like Priyansh (Arya) who scored a 100 the other day. Even among the more senior players, you left Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul," the former CSK player added.

Former CSK player and India legend Harbhajan Singh also backed Raina and took a dig at the CSK think tank.

"They had the options to buy Rishabh or KL Rahul but never went for them. Among the youngsters, I have not seen anyone play for CSK who can play a game-changing innings. Those that hunt the talent pool for this team need to also be asked questions of whether they passed the right info to management based on which the selection took place (during auction)," he said.