The IPL 2025 season has been a horror for Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Having won only two games out of ten, they became the first team to be eliminated from playoff contention. Although they lost their captain Ruturaj Gaikwad due to injury mid-season, the team has generally been poor. Not even the great MS Dhoni could spark the side this season. Most fans believe that CSK's issues began immediately after the IPL 2025 mega auction. The team retained old players, which had been effective in 2018 but no longer holds true. The game has evolved, and franchises now require players who can contribute immediately. CSK will have to release some funds ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction, and that entails releasing a few underperforming names. Here are five CSK players they should release prior to the next season: Five Players CSK Should Release Prior to IPL 2026 Matheesha Pathirana - Not the Same Anymore CSK retained Pathirana at ₹13 crore. He was considered one of the crucial bowlers, particularly towards the end of the innings. But since his injury in 2024, he hasn't been the same. Moreover, he has changed his action after the 2024 season which has affected his accuracy. In IPL 2025, he has bagged 9 wickets by conceding runs at an economy of 10.39. These figures are much lower than his previous seasons. Letting him go may make CSK recover a lot of money and perhaps reacquire him at a reduced price if required. Also Read | MS Dhoni Greets Robo Dog as CSK Exit IPL 2025 Playoff Race Ravichandran Ashwin - Failed Comeback CSK spent ₹9.75 crore to get Ravichandran Ashwin back. It seemed like a good tale as he returned to the team where he began his IPL career. But the outcomes were not the same. He has picked just 5 wickets from 7 games and has a bowling average of 44.60. Moreover, his economy of 9.29 is a major concern as it's the worst for him in any IPL season. With his international career now over, it is difficult to realize that he is worth so much money next year. Devon Conway - Lost His Touch Conway used to be a good opener for CSK, scoring nearly 1,000 runs in two seasons. But since being left out of IPL 2024 due to injury, his performance has declined terribly. He now has a sluggish strike rate (127.02) and hasn't been scoring freely. In IPL 2025, Chennai Super Kings even had to retire him out once. At ₹6.25 crore, they can get better foreign players. With Rachin Ravindra already in the team, Conway doesn't contribute much extra. Also Read | "At 43, he didn’t think he’d deal with this again": Finch on Dhoni's captaincy Rahul Tripathi - Not the Same Player Tripathi entered with experience, but he has not performed. His strike rate is less than 100, and he has managed only 55 runs in five innings. He averages a mere 11.00 this season. His slow batting has caused damage to the team's momentum. With young and quicker players around, CSK should drop him and go for some attacking player who can accelerate at will in the middle overs. Deepak Hooda - No Impact Deepak Hooda has had an extremely poor year. He has scored just 31 runs from five innings with a strike rate of only 75.60. That is too low in the modern day fast-paced T20 cricket. Though he bats towards the end of the order, 6.20 is not a good average. Except for one season (2022), Hooda hasn't done anything in the IPL in the last five years.