source : BCCI
MS Dhoni’s highly anticipated return as CSK captain was supposed to bring stability. Instead, it brought heartbreak. In a one-sided contest at Chepauk, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) crushed Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by eight wickets after skittling them out for a miserable 103/9, their lowest-ever home total in IPL history. The match ended in just 10.1 overs of the chase, marking CSK’s fifth straight loss a first in their storied IPL run.
The pitch at Chepauk turned out to be a dream for KKR’s spin trio Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, and Moeen Ali. They combined to take six wickets and completely choked CSK’s scoring. Narine in particular was unplayable, finishing with 3 for 13 in his four overs without conceding a single boundary. Even Dhoni, walking in at No. 9, could do little as he fell LBW for just one run, a dismissal that stirred up debate due to a faint UltraEdge spike.
CSK’s batting collapse was rooted in indecision and lack of application. None of their top or middle-order batters could stabilize the innings. Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway both fell early, while Rahul Tripathi and Vijay Shankar struggled to find momentum. Shivam Dube’s 31 was the only silver lining*, but by the time he got going, CSK were already down to 75 for 8. The team managed only three boundaries after the eighth over.
Needing just 104 to win, KKR launched a brutal assault in the powerplay, racking up 71 runs in the first six overs. Sunil Narine capped his all-round performance with a fiery 44, and the chase wrapped up in no time. CSK’s bowlers had little to defend and their Impact Player gamble with Deepak Hooda backfired as he fell for a duck. To add to their woes, Matheesha Pathirana didn’t feature due to injury.
With this dominating win, KKR surged to third on the points table, while CSK sank deeper into trouble at ninth. What was meant to be a triumphant return for Dhoni became a night of unraveling. Unless CSK sorts out its brittle middle order and finds consistency, their IPL 2025 campaign might slip away sooner than expected.
