Chennai Super Kings suffered the worse defeat (in terms of balls left) in the IPL following MS Dhoni’s return to captaincy after over 700 days.
Chennai Super Kings suffered their greatest IPL defeat (in terms of balls left) against the Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday, marking MS Dhoni’s return to leadership after nearly 700 days. CSK’s lowest-ever total at their home field, MA Chidambaram Stadium, was 103/9 in 20 overs. The goal was chased down by KKR in just 10.1 overs. MS Dhoni was named captain of CSK after Ruturaj Gaikwad, who was supposed to captain the team, was sidelined with an elbow injury. Despite the excitement surrounding his comeback, he was only able to score one run off of four balls. Regarding Dhoni’s failure, former Indian batsman Navjot Singh Sidhu made a harsh remark.
“Par khoda pahaad nikli chuhiya, sher aaya, hype thi, badi excitement thi, and Arey Dhoni aa rahe hain ji jaise sher aaya.” (People were predicting the arrival of the lion and Dhoni. There was a lot of enthusiasm and anticipation. However, nothing was visible,” he remarked during the commentary.
Following Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) fifth consecutive defeat in the 2025 Indian Premier League, former Australia captain Michael Clarke said the five-time champions are completely lacking confidence and that it is time for them to take all the chances necessary to win the remaining games of the season.
Despite MS Dhoni’s return to captaincy, CSK was a shadow of their former dominating self at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, as KKR’s disciplined bowlers held them to 103/9, their lowest IPL total at home. CSK experienced their worst IPL loss in terms of balls remaining (59), losing to defending champions KKR by eight wickets in the end. They are currently in ninth place in the standings.Wicket appeared to be quite difficult to bat against. With the new ball, there was definitely some spin and some movement. The Chennai Super Kings, in my opinion, miscalculated their strategy. It’s obvious from the way they approached it that they lack confidence. Additionally, there was no intent on their part.
Right now, it appears to be a very cautious strategy aimed at avoiding a significant loss or coming near to winning. Rather, they ought to risk everything, put everything on the line, and attempt to win the game.It’s easier said than done to make that kind of adjustment. Similar to how a positive, self-assured attitude may spread throughout a winning dressing room, the same is true when you’re losing. According to Clarke on JioStar, “that losing feeling lingers and it’s hard to get rid of sometimes.”
