When CSK lifted their fifth IPL title in May 2023, the triumph was powered almost entirely by players well past the age traditionally associated with the league’s frenetic T20 demands. Devon Conway was 31, Ajinkya Rahane 34, Ambati Rayudu 37, Ravindra Jadeja 34 and Moeen Ali 35. At the helm was Mahendra Singh Dhoni, then 41, whose calm leadership continued to defy conventional wisdom about age and athletic peak. Much like in 2021, when similar doubts were raised, CSK were written off before the tournament even began, only to confound expectations once again.
That 2023 campaign culminated in a dramatic final against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad, a contest repeatedly disrupted by unseasonal rain and eventually pushed to the reserve day. The chaotic circumstances only added to the theatre. In a fitting finale, Jadeja sealed the title by striking a six and a four off the final two deliveries of the tournament, completing a chase that symbolised CSK’s enduring knack for thriving under pressure. It was a moment that encapsulated the franchise’s philosophy at the time: trust experience, stay patient, and let proven performers deliver when it matters most.
However, the glow of that success did not last. A disappointing campaign the following season forced introspection within the franchise, prompting a reassessment of long-held beliefs about squad composition and playing style. The result has been a visible shift in strategy, one that signals a move away from reliance on veteran stalwarts toward a younger, more aggressive core better aligned with the evolving demands of T20 cricket.
This recalibration represents more than a routine rebuild. It marks a fundamental change in CSK’s DNA, as the team looks to balance its legacy of stability with the urgency of reinvention. How this revamped outfit performs in the 2026 edition of the IPL will be watched with unusual scrutiny, not just by supporters but across the league. For a franchise that built an empire by resisting trends, the willingness to embrace change may prove to be its most defining gamble yet.
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