Chennai Super Kings' campaign in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 concluded on a losing note as they became the first team to be officially knocked out of contention for the playoffs. This elimination came after a closely fought four-wicket defeat at the hands of Punjab Kings at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on Wednesday, April 30. With this the MS Dhoni-led CSK hit a new low as it marks the first time in their distinguished history that they have failed to qualify for the playoffs in two consecutive seasons.
In the post-match presentation CSK captain MS Dhoni while ruing his team's loss, slammed CSK fielders for dropping key catches, which has been their story in the ongoing IPL 2025. Reflecting after the match, MS Dhoni pointed out that despite the impressive 78-run partnership between Sam Curran and Dewald Brevis, the team's lack of firepower in the final overs and subpar fielding performances proved to be costly factors that plagued CSK throughout their campaign.
"I think the batting - yes, it was the first time we put enough runs on the board. But was it a par score? I feel slightly short. Yes, a bit demanding from the batters but I feel we could've got slightly more. I feel we need to take our catches," MS Dhoni said after the match.
"The partnership between Brevis and Sam was excellent. We didn't play the last four deliveries, and the second last over four batters got out. In close games, those 7 deliveries mean a lot. Well he's a fighter (Curran). That's something we all know. Whenever he turns up he wants to contribute. Unfortunately so far, whenever we tried to give him a chance, the wicket was on the slower side and he found it slightly difficult. But today's wicket was one of the best we've got at home in this tournament. That's the reason I felt we needed another 15 runs. It's the momentum in the middle order (Brevis offers). He's also a very good fielder, he has power and he can hit good balls for boundaries. And he brings good energy. Happy with the way he's playing. He can be an asset going ahead," Dhoni added.
Talking about the match, CSK relied heavily on an exceptional performance from Sam Curran, who played a fluent knock of 88 runs off just 47 balls, decorated with nine boundaries and four sixes. Coming to the crease when CSK were in a precarious position at 48 for 3 during the powerplay, Curran took control of the innings. He forged a crucial 78-run partnership with Dewald Brevis (32), which steadied the innings and propelled CSK towards a potentially competitive total. Curran's aggressive strokeplay was particularly evident in the 16th over, where he unleashed a barrage of shots against the young bowler Suryansh Shedge, scoring 26 runs with two sixes and two fours. The English all-rounder appeared poised to guide CSK past the 200-run mark, but his innings came to an end in the 18th over when he gloved a bouncer from Marco Jansen.
Just as CSK looked to be building towards a strong finish, the momentum of the game dramatically shifted due to the intervention of Yuzvendra Chahal. The leg-spinner, who had bowled only two overs up to the 19th, was brought back for the penultimate over and orchestrated a remarkable collapse of the CSK batting order. After conceding a six to MS Dhoni, Chahal dismissed the veteran on the very next delivery. What ensued was a rapid succession of wickets as Deepak Hooda, Anshul Kamboj, and Noor Ahmad all fell in quick order, allowing Chahal to claim a sensational hat-trick, his second in the IPL, and restrict CSK to a total of 190 runs.
In response to CSK's total, PBKS began their chase with a positive intent, with opener Prabhsimran Singh setting a strong foundation with a well-paced 54 off 36 balls. He formed a solid partnership with captain Shreyas Iyer, who anchored the innings at one end and constructed his knock expertly, scoring 72 runs from 41 deliveries. Despite losing a few wickets in the middle overs, including the well-set Prabhsimran and Shashank Singh (23), PBKS maintained their composure. Iyer's calculated acceleration towards the end, coupled with some fortunate moments, enabled Punjab Kings to successfully chase down the target with two balls to spare.
Following this crucial win, PBKS have climbed to the second position in the league standings with a total of 13 points. On the other hand, CSK find themselves languishing at the bottom of the table in 10th place with a mere four points, a result that has effectively extinguished their already slim hopes of reaching the playoffs. They will next face Lucknow Super Giants on May 4 at the Mullanpur stadium. Meanwhile, CSK will take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on May 3 at the M Chinnaswamy stadium.