Daijiworld Media Network - Lucknow

Lucknow, Apr 14: As Chennai Super Kings (CSK) prepare to take on Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Monday evening, former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden has weighed in on the team's likely strategy, saying major overhauls are not in CSK’s nature. Instead, he believes the five-time champions will stick to their core belief "back yourselves and trust the process."

Speaking on JioHotstar, Hayden said, "I doubt we’ll see major changes – it’s just not in CSK’s DNA. They might not be the team that scores 60 in the powerplay, but they have to find a point of difference. Without change, it becomes insanity doing the same thing over and over expecting different results."

CSK are currently languishing at the bottom of the IPL 2025 table with just one win in six matches their worst start in tournament history. After a winning opener against Mumbai Indians, CSK have slumped to five straight losses, including three at their fortress, the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

The team’s woes have been compounded by an elbow injury to skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, with MS Dhoni stepping back into the leadership role. However, head coach Stephen Fleming warned against expecting instant miracles. “MS has stepped up. His influence is always prominent, but he hasn’t got a magic wand,” he said.

"Certainly, in both our cricketing careers we’ve been in situations that require a lot of energy, and we’ve got to make sure the energy is put in the right place," Fleming added.

CSK have called up 17-year-old Mumbai opener Ayush Mhatre as Gaikwad's replacement, hoping the youngster can add fresh spark to their ailing campaign.