'No one plays like that anymore in T20 cricket' - Ambati Rayudu bashes CSK batters for slow batting against MI

Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) player Ambati Rayudu bashed the Yellow Brigade's batters for a poor batting performance against the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the 38th match of the IPL 2025. The southern Indian franchise lost the game by nine wickets. The Super Kings managed to score 176 runs in the first innings after losing the toss. Debutant Ayush Mhatre provided a quick start in the latter half of the powerplay, and CSK were batting at an eight-plus run-rate. 

However, after his wicket, the game slowed down when Ravindra Jadeja and Shivam Dube were at the crease initially. They failed to hit boundaries and maximums, despite having a good pitch to bat on. CSK didn't show any intent while they were batting before the 13th over. Even in the last couple of overs, the batters couldn't capitalize on their batting performance. Hence, reaching 200+ runs became very difficult. 

Rayudu called out the batters and mentioned that cricket has evolved, and having a healthy strike rate during the middle overs is extremely important, especially on a flat track where the ball is coming onto the bat.

"It was those middle overs—around seven overs for just 35 runs—that cost them. No one plays like that anymore in T20 cricket. The game has evolved, and even during the middle overs, teams need to score at a healthy strike rate. CSK lacked intent. You can lose a game, but you have to fight. You can’t just try to coast through a phase and hope to finish strong later. That pitch needed at least 190 to be competitive, and what CSK posted wasn’t even par. It was below-par batting during the crucial middle phase," said Rayudu on JioStar.

I don't see them coming back this season: Ambati Rayudu

Rayudu clearly spoke about CSK's chances of making a comeback this season. With a team like this, CSK have won just two in eight matches, and qualifying for the playoffs from this position is extremely unlikely. The team hasn't finished in the last position ever, so that would be their next target (to avoid that fate).

Also Read: How can Chennai Super Kings still qualify for playoffs loss against MI?

"I don’t see them coming back this season. Even Dhoni acknowledged that in his post-match comments—saying they’re already looking ahead to the next season. They’ll want to groom young players and build a culture of fearless, not reckless, cricket. They must play with more positive intent. Perhaps someone like Ayush Mhatre could get a full run from here on," added Rayudu.