CSK went with a new pair of batters to open the inning in a do-or-die match. Both uncapped players - Shaik Rasheed and Ayush Mhatre failed to give CSK a good start in front of an experienced Punjab Kings bowling attack
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) became the first team of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 to be eliminated this season. They are out of the race for playoffs after Wednesday's defeat against the Punjab Kings in Chennai. (As It Happened | Scorecard | Full Coverage)
The Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab Kings won the match by four wickets at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk to jump to the second place in the points table. With eight losses in 10 matches, CSK were eliminated for the second consecutive season.
But what went wrong for the five-time champions in match 49 of the IPL 2025? Let's look at some reasons
CSK went with a new pair of batters to open the inning in a do-or-die match. Both uncapped players - Shaik Rasheed and Ayush Mhatre failed to give CSK a good start in front of an experienced Punjab Kings bowling attack. CSK were two wickets down at the score of 22 runs inside the powerplay.
Sam Curran (88) and Dewald Brevis (32) played good knocks to keep the CSK in the game on a surface which needed an above 200 score. But after their dismissal, Yuzvendra Chahal picked up four wickets in five deliveries to dash their hopes.
From 184/6 at one point, CSK were restricted to 190 runs with four balls to spare in the inning.
CSK's poor fielding was another reason for their defeat in the match. Anshul Kamboj looked tired while fielding near the boundary ropes, and he also looked hesitant to go for some catches. CSK have dropped the most number of catches in the IPL 2025.
However, Dewald Brevis took a brilliant catch of Shashank Singh near the boundary ropes, but CSK had lost the game by then.
Matheesha Pathirana's poor run with the ball continued when he leaked 45 runs in his four overs. He has featured in almost every game this season and leaked runs in all of them. His deliveries looked predictable, and Shreyas Iyer found them very easy to pick. He managed to pick up a couple of wickets.
Imbalance in the team was another reason why CSK suffered early elimination from the tournament. They bought Kamlesh Nagarkoti in the auction, who is an able all-rounder, but did not give him a match. Sam Curran was also out of the playing XI in most of the matches.
Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi and Vijay Shankar failed on various occasions, and the bowling department was wholly dependent on Kheel Ahmed and Noor Ahmad. Ravindra Jadeja failed to justify his place in the team as an all-rounder. And MS Dhoni coming to bat at number eight and below is out of understanding for any cricket fan.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's CSK lost their fifth match of the season at their home venue, which is the most in any edition. They are already out of the race for the playoffs, and Dhoni's leadership is under the scanner.
With four matches left in this season for CSK, they will try to win a few and resist finishing at the bottom of the points table.