April 12, 2025: Chennai Super Kings’ batting coach Michael Hussey has come out in strong support of the team’s struggling Indian veterans, rubbishing claims that the franchise’s core group has aged past their prime. This comes in the wake of CSK’s fifth straight defeat in IPL 2025, a humbling 8-wicket loss to Kolkata Knight Riders at Chepauk.
Veteran batters like Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tripathi, and Deepak Hooda have failed to deliver consistently, contributing to CSK’s slide down the points table. In their latest match, the trio combined for a modest 45 runs in Chennai’s first-innings total of 103/9. While Shankar showed some resistance with a 29-run knock, Tripathi’s 16 off 22 balls and Hooda’s four-ball duck only compounded CSK’s woes.
Despite their poor form, CSK continues to place faith in these experienced campaigners over promising young talents like Vansh Bedi and C. Andre Siddarth. Addressing the media after the match, Hussey drew comparisons to past success stories such as Shane Watson and Ajinkya Rahane, emphasizing that age does not necessarily signal decline.
“I don’t agree with that. We’ve had players in the twilight of their careers come and play at CSK in the past… and they’ve performed really well. I still think the players we’ve got have good cricket ahead and can offer a lot,” said Hussey.
Tripathi has managed only 46 runs in four games at an average of 11.50, while Hooda has just 7 runs from three matches. Shankar, though relatively better with 109 runs at 54.50, has seen his efforts overshadowed by the team’s collective struggles.
Hussey also addressed the calls for introducing youngsters into the XI but cautioned against rushing them into high-pressure situations before they’re ready.
“We’ve got some very good players waiting for their chance. But we don’t want to throw them in just for the sake of change. We’re still in the fight to progress in the tournament, and we’ll continue to back players who can help us win,” he added.
As CSK aims to recover from this unprecedented slump, the onus remains on both experienced heads and the coaching staff to find a winning formula — and quickly.