Ex-CSK star Subramaniam Badrinath criticised the franchise for letting KL Rahul slip to Delhi Capitals in the 2025 auction, despite losing him for just ₹50 lakh more. He pointed out CSK later spent over ₹28 crore on two uncapped youngsters. Badrinath said Rahul's presence could have strengthened CSK, who now face a third straight playoff miss.