CSK vs KKR, IPL 2025: Chennai Super Kings horror show at Chepauk leaves fans distraught

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It turned out be a typical horror show from Chennai Super Kings (CSK) against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL 2025 no-contest at the Chepauk, Chennai, on Friday (April 11).

Wins and losses are part and parcel of sports, but the abject surrender and lack of strategy and awareness from the hosts was hard to digest. The CSK fans are a patient lot, yet even they could not grin and bear it, losing by eight wickets.

The palpable sense of outrage on social media from fans and experts like Krish Srikkanth suggests, CSK are on the ventilator in this edition of IPL 2025. To lose five matches out of six and the NRR (net run rate) spinning into minus has made it impossible for them to bounce back.

Of course, MS Dhoni, reinstated as captain, still feels not all is over. That has been the nature of Dhoni, never calling it quits so easily. Reality is, KKR, who had also begun indifferently this season have bounced back with Ajinkya Rahane in command.

The Mumbaikar had spent two seasons with CSK in the recent past, so he knows a thing or two about how to plan against the Chennai side. Almost an hour before the match ended, CSK fans had started trooping out. Had it been a city like Kolkata, the crowd behaviour may have been at its worst.

For those who have seen CSK perform brilliantly in the IPL since inception, there have been ups and down as well. On emotional quotient alone, CSK cannot ride the momentum. In 2023 as well, CSK had done badly but the fan base had backed them.

That has been the way CSK's yellow brigade supports them, whether matches are played at home or away. In this season, the streak of bad luck has only multiplied.

An injury to Ruturaj Gaikwad saw the team struggle. How they realised the injury was more than a crack was much later, forcing him out of the season. Official verdict is, he has an elbow fracture. Had it been any other side, they would have groomed a vice captain who could take over.

No, lack of planning in the IPL, from the auction stage itself has added to the CSK woes. There are more marquee names in the CSK side who are now liabilities, like R.Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.

On Friday, the way CSK collapsed in Power Play seemed like mindless cricket. It just goes to show they have not planned well, and the KKR spinners had more wares to show.

The two New Zealanders at the top, Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway have played worse than amateurs. For these batters who have done well in international cricket, failures at CSK reflect the poor mindset.

Certainly, as a captain, Rahane did well to use Moeen Ali (4-0-20-1), Sunil Narine (4-0-13-3) and Varun Chakravarthy (4-0-22-2). Who prepared a track like this for CSK at their own home ground is not clear.

Then again, when KKR were chasing such a small total of 104 for a win, Quinton de Kock (23), Sunil Narine (44) and Ajinkya Rahane (20) had planned well.

Imagine, one of the most shrewd bowlers in the CSK attack, R.Ashwin bowled minus a plan. He was coming over the wicket against left handers instead of round the wicket. How was Jadeja bowled so late, nobody knows.

Like post mortem after an unnatural death, dissection has begun for what all CSK has done wrong. Not bringing on board youngsters, zero infusion of fresh talent and falling back on spent forces has led to distress.

For those who think CSK can do some kind of magic and fight back, there is no bench strength. Dhoni the wicket-keeper is still sharp but his batting form has collapsed.

The old Dhoni would won matches for CSK from losing positions. Today, the same skipper who won CSK five IPL titles looks like a ghost of the past. To win in 10.1 overs, the net run rate has swung in as a positive for KKR.