In a season where expectations were sky-high, MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have become the first team to be officially eliminated from IPL 2025, suffering their eighth defeat of the campaign. The latest blow came at the hands of Punjab Kings (PBKS), who edged past CSK by four wickets in a nail-biting finish at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. With this loss, CSK’s playoff hopes have evaporated, raising tough questions about team selection, execution under pressure, and the fading aura of a franchise once known for its consistency and calm under Dhoni.
The match started with promise. After being put in to bat, CSK looked shaky at 48/3, but a sensational 78-run partnership between Sam Curran and Dewald Brevis injected life into the innings. Curran played his finest IPL knock to date, smashing 88 off just 47 balls, including nine fours and four sixes, while Brevis contributed a composed 32 off 26.
“I think Curran is a fighter, we all know. Today’s wicket was the best we’ve had at home, and he showed what he’s capable of,” said MS Dhoni post-match.
However, just as CSK seemed poised to cross the 200-mark, Yuzvendra Chahal’s game-changing hat-trick turned the tide. CSK collapsed from 172/4 to 190 all out, undone by Chahal’s brilliance (4/32) and Arshdeep Singh’s disciplined spell (2/25).
Punjab’s chase began with a flourish, as Priyansh Arya (23 off 15) and Prabhsimran Singh (54 off 36) stitched together a rapid 44-run opening stand. But it was Shreyas Iyer’s captain’s knock—72 off 41 balls—that proved decisive. Backed by Shashank Singh’s late fireworks (23 off 12), PBKS overcame a few hiccups to chase down the target in 19.4 overs, winning by four wickets.
For CSK, Khaleel Ahmed (2/28) and Matheesha Pathirana (2/45) were the pick of the bowlers, but dropped catches and missed opportunities cost them dearly once again.
In a rare candid post-match interaction, MS Dhoni admitted that despite the batting effort, the team fell short—both in runs and in intensity on the field.
“It was the first time we put enough runs on the board, but I feel it was still short of a par score. The partnership between Curran and Brevis was fantastic, but we need to take our catches,” Dhoni said, subtly acknowledging fielding lapses that have plagued the side all season.
He also praised Brevis for bringing “fresh energy” to the middle order: “He brings momentum, he can hit good balls for boundaries, and he adds life in the field. We needed that.”
With just two wins from 10 games, CSK is rooted to the bottom of the IPL 2025 points table, and the cracks in the team’s structure are now fully exposed. Injuries, misfiring veterans, and over-reliance on individual brilliance have made the franchise a shadow of its former self.
As fans and analysts begin to point fingers, the blame game has officially begun in the CSK camp. Is it time for a complete overhaul? Will Dhoni finally hang up his boots? Or is this just a minor blip in a storied franchise’s legacy?
One thing is certain: with the playoffs now out of reach, CSK must use the remainder of IPL 2025 to regroup, reassess, and reimagine their future.
