Chennai: The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are facing an all-time crisis in the 18th season of the IPL, despite being one of the most successful franchises in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The iconic captain MS Dhoni might be back, but the team is still sitting at the bottom of the points table in IPL 2025 after winning just a couple of games out of 7, and no one knows why they have been this horrible.
The Oldest in IPL: MS Dhoni Returns to Lead the Sombre Side—Still the Only Bright Spot MS Dhoni, back at 43, took over the captaincy from injured Ruturaj Gaikwad, the oldest captain in IPL history. Against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on April 14, he made a fine comeback with a vintage 26 not out in the final moments off of 11 balls and was named the Player of the Match, which helped CSK to a nail-biting five-wicket win. Dhoni was brilliant behind the stumps, first with the helmet on and then with the gloves, where he completed a stunner run-out for Abdul Samad and also achieved a landmark 200th fielding dismissal during this match— class is permanent. Unfortunately, it has been all downhill since, with this solitary victory proving to be a rare peak in a dismal campaign.
What’s Gone Wrong for CSK?
Brittle CSK batting without Gaikwad: CSK’s bat looks utterly brittle without the match-winning Gaikwad, who has been a hallmark of consistency. Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra have struggled greatly, managing only the opener section against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), which is crucial for their development. other. Nurseries amount tohis. The conditions for their middle-order, which includes players like Vijay Shankar and Deepak Hooda, have not been satisfactory, resulting in an excessive reliance on Dhoni and Shivam Dube to complete the games. A brittle batting was evident in CSK’s lowest home score ever of 103/9 against KKR.
No Partnerships: As Dhoni himself said, the lack of meaningful partnerships is a big reason: “We never got any partnerships, and if we had a bit more application, we would be fine.” This has led to a number of innings collapses, resulting in up to five consecutive defeats, including the one against LSG.
Fancy Call: The auction strategy of CSK for 2024 came under the scannernner for putting faith in the untestedsted middle-order combo of Shankar and Hooda, who have no proven history at the highesthest level. Coach Stephen Fleming, however, also pointed out the return of Dhoni wasn’t a “magic wand” and systemic issues needed hard work and soul-searching as well to fix.
Chennai Super Kings: Bulletproof Fortress Breached — CSK lost at their famed MA Chidambaram Stadium for only the first time in 18 seasons, including an all-time low when KKR battered them by 59 balls — CSK’s biggest defeat ever with this margin of balls remaining.
Despite his heroics, concerns persist about Dhoni’s long-term fitness. After the game, a viral video showed him limping, igniting fears of a knee injury that has plagued him in previous seasons. Though there is no clarity on any injury from either Dhoni or CSK management, his fitness will be a concern going into some important games.
On the other hand, Harbhajan Singh hailed Dhoni as a captain and said, “Under Dhoni, Dhoni’s batting and thinking have also returned, like against LSG.” Sanjay Bangar also noted Dhoni’s fight, saying, “Not in his prime physical condition, he fought his way through.”
Can CSK Turn It Around?
However, from CSK’s perspective, they are facing extinction with just two wins and a net run rate of -1.554. But as history suggests, CSK turned around a worse situation in 2009 and when it came to the hot seat, captain Dhoni delivered with a vital performance to guide CSK to the playoffs. On April 20, the team will meet the Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium in a must-win match that could jumpstart a revival.
Fleming is hopeful but offers the note of caution that he hopes the team draws from recent disappointments. “It’s a huge challenge, but one we need to embrace,” he said. To overcome the challenges, CSK must improve their batting performance and provide additional support to Noor Ahmad and Khaleel Ahmad, who have been performing exceptionally well with the ball.
With the IPL 2025 season underway, Dhoni—who endeared fans with the affectionate term “Thala”—is expected to work his magic that has become synonymous with putting on the yellow jersey of CSK. If the five-time champions can write of a proverbial glorious escape, only the future will reveal, but the final chapter is some way off yet.
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