R Ashwin is not playing CSK's IPL 2025 match against LSG in Lucknow today (April 14).
Chnnai Super Kings are taking on Lucknow Super Giants in their seventh match of the season but will be without the services of legendary India spinner R Ashwin. Instead, CSK have picked overseas seam-bowling all-rounder Jamie Overton in their playing XI.
Match 30, Lucknow Super Giants vs Chennai Super Kings
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Has Ashwin been dropped?
CSK won the toss and elected to field first. MS Dhoni, captaining the side in the absence of Ruturaj Gaikwad announced the two changes to the playing XI, the other one being debutant Shaik Rasheed replacing Devon Conway.
However, there was no mention of the reasoning behind Ashwin's exclusion. There haven't been any injury updates from the franchise on Ashwin either, implying that Ashwin might well have been dropped for the LSG game.
What has Ashwin's record been in IPL 2025 so far?
From six matches this season, Ashwin has picked only five wickets at an average of 39.6. He has also conceded runs at 9.90 per over. In four our of the six games, Ashwin has gone at 10 runs per over or more. He has been particularly poor in the powerplay, conceding 90 runs in six overs for just one wicket.
CSK bought Ashwin at 9.75 crore at the IPL 2025 auction, marking his return to his first IPL franchise after a decade. But the comeback hasn't gone to plan so far. CSK are sitting at the bottom of the table having won only one out of their six matches and are now desperately in need of points.
This might have forced the five-time IPL-winning team to take some hard calls, including dropping two senior players in Conway and Ashwin to usher in young blood in the form of Rasheed and some overseas firepower with the ball in the form of Overton.
CSK XI v LSG: Shaik Rasheed, Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi, Ravindra Jadeja, Vijay Shankar, Craig Overton, MS Dhoni, Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmad, Matheesha Pathirana
Impact players: Shivam Dube, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ben Curran, Deepak Hooda, Ramakrishna Ghosh.
