Former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was left completely shattered on Sunday (April 5) night after watching Chennai Super Kings (CSK) crash to their third straight defeat in the ongoing Indian Premier League 2026 (IPL 2026).
The RCB vs CSK match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru turned into a painful experience for Ravichandran Ashwin because of his deep emotional bond with the yellow army.
Ravichandran Ashwin left heartbroken after CSK’s third straight defeat in IPL 2026
Before Chennai Super Kings’ big match with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Ashwin had openly admitted that his heart still beats for CSK, even though his cricket brain backed the hosts. But after CSK’s heavy 43-run loss to RCB, the former Indian all-rounder left deeply disappointed.
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He felt bad for the young boys in the Chennai Super Kings camp, who are still trying to settle into a new setup and need more guidance, practice, and intensity to survive at this level.
Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube channel: “I think, even if RR loses, I would be a little disappointed. We have a little heart. See, I am watching the match with neutral eyes. And I know that there are not many options in CSK. And that’s why I don’t have an answer.
Because I am thinking, these are all new boys. These are all young boys. For these boys, you have to give good practice. You have to give intensity from here. You have to change the whole atmosphere from here.”
Ashwin reveals why he retired from IPL
Ashwin has also opened up about the real reasons behind his IPL retirement last year for the first time. This series of CSK’s defeats reminded him of his own tough days with the franchise. Ashwin revealed that last season’s journey with the five-time champions had been extremely painful for him.
The former off-spinner admitted that he still had the desire to play one more season for CSK in the IPL 2026, but he decided to retire because of his struggling campaign, which left him mentally completely drained. If IPL 2025 had been a good season for him, Ashwin must be in action in 2026.
The Chennai lad further shared, “I just spent a disappointing season with CSK. It was my own disappointing season. Honestly, I could have played for one more season from my heart. But I left it. Emotionally, I didn’t have the bandwidth to handle everyone. I think it was very mentally disturbing. It was very painful for me. I don’t want to go there. I discussed it a little. Then I thought, okay. I started here. I want to finish in my hometown. It’s okay.”
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Ashwin’s retirement helped Chennai Super Kings financially
Ashwin also explained that his retirement made things easier for the CSK management as they didn’t have to worry about keeping or releasing him apart from freeing their purse strings.
He added, “And if I retire because of me, it won’t be a problem for them to leave me or keep me. And apart from that, they get a prize purse of 10 crores. If there are 10 crores in the mini auction, you can buy a good player. And you can make a strong team. So, I am a little disappointed.”
Ashwin admitted that he had expectations from CSK, but they let him down. He admitted picking RCB over Chennai for this match but only because of their strength. He pointed out that CSK’s bowling is not good this season and felt RCB made a comeback after the break in Bengaluru.