Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain, MS Dhoni, candidly addressed his team’s performance following their five-wicket defeat to Punjab Kings (PBKS), effectively eliminating them from the IPL 2025 playoffs. Dhoni remarked that their total of 190 was “slightly short of par” and emphasised the need for better fielding to secure crucial wickets.
“I think the batting, yes, it was the first time when we had put enough runs on the board, but was it a par score? I feel [we were] slightly short,” Dhoni shared post-match. He acknowledged the efforts of key players, stating, “That partnership between [Dewald] Brevis and Sam [Curran] was excellent. And I feel we need to take some catches because that really helps to take wickets, you can slow down the opposition.”
CSK seemed poised for a robust score, especially after Curran and Brevis added 78 off 50 balls, elevating the run rate past ten. However, the dismissal of Brevis and later Curran for 88 off 47 left CSK with a meagre 18 runs off their final 14 balls. Yuzvendra Chahal’s exceptional performance, including a hat-trick, saw CSK collapse from 172 for 4 to 190 all out, losing six wickets for 18 runs.
Reflecting on the closing overs, Dhoni noted, “Not to forget when it’s a high-scoring games, we didn’t play the last four deliveries and the second last over, we got four batsmen out, another three deliveries and in close games, seven deliveries means a lot.”
This season, CSK has struggled with their batting, posting the lowest run rate of 8.23. Changes at the top order included young talents like Shaik Rasheed and Ayush Mhatre, while an injury to captain Ruturaj Gaikwad posed additional challenges. Key players such as Shivam Dube and Rahul Tripathi underperformed, affecting the team’s overall success.
However, Dhoni praised Curran’s significant contribution with the bat, especially following a series of low scores. “Whenever he turns up, he wants to contribute, whether it’s with the bat or with the ball,” Dhoni commented. He further noted the favourable pitch conditions at home as instrumental in Curran’s performance, adding, “So I feel the wicket was really good and that’s the reason I felt we needed another 15 runs.”
