Leading Chennai Super Kings against Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday in Match 25 of IPL 2025 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, MS Dhoni’s eagerly awaited return as captain turned into a disaster as CSK suffered a ignominious defeat.
Chennai slumped to 103/9 in 20 overs batting first, their worst-ever IPL total at home. From the beginning, the team battled with the batting order crumbling under constant bombardment from the Kolkata Knight Riders’ bowling arsenal. Walking in at No. 9, Dhoni could only one run before being eliminated, further exacerbating the misery of the team.
Narine heads the bowling attack; KKR controls the late pursuit
Sunil Narine claimed three wickets and Varun Chakravarthy and Harshit Rana got two each, so Kolkata’s bowling unit performed expertly. Together, they took apart the CSK batting order, setting KKR a rather low goal to run.
Responding, coasted to 107/2 in 10.1 overs, clinching a commanding win and moving to third place on the points table. Their forceful powerplay strategy gave CSK no room to recover.
The win reflects Kolkata’s decisive attitude in this season’s campaign, whereas CSK trail ninth and Dhoni leads a revival, hence serious doubts about their style and form.
With this humiliating loss, CSK will, going into their next games as the competition furthers, have to recover and reevaluate.