CSK vs PBKS: Shreyas Iyer puts Chennai Super Kings out of playoff race with a captain's knock of 72

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CSK vs PBKS: On a sweltering evening in Chennai, Shreyas Iyer played the role of a dream-ender with a magnificent 72 off 41 balls, leading Punjab Kings to a four-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings in Match 49 of the IPL 2025.

The result not only kept Punjab's playoff hopes alive but also officially eliminated CSK from the playoff race-making them the first team to crash out this season, with four games still left in the league phase. Also read: Most Runs in IPL 2025 | IPL Points Table | IPL Qualification Scenario | Most Wickets | Most Sixes | Fairplay Award

The MA Chidambaram Stadium witnessed a high-octane clash that tilted dramatically in the second innings. After Punjab opted to bowl first, CSK rode on a blistering 84 from Sam Curran to post a seemingly competitive 190.

Curran, facing his former team, was in sublime touch, smashing seven fours and four sixes in his 45-ball knock. He received decent support from Dewald Brevis (32 off 26), but the innings fell apart in the final overs.

From a solid 172/4 in the 18th over, Chennai collapsed to 190 all out in just 19.2 overs, losing their final six wickets for only 18 runs. The architect of that collapse was Yuzvendra Chahal, who returned impressive figures of 4 for 32, including a game-turning 19th over where he took three wickets in five deliveries. Arshdeep Singh and Marco Jansen picked up two wickets each, while Harpreet Brar and Azmatullah Omarzai chipped in with one apiece.

In reply, Punjab lost Priyansh Arya early to Khaleel Ahmed but recovered swiftly thanks to a fluent 54 from Prabhsimran Singh. His partnership with Iyer provided the foundation for the chase. The PBKS skipper then took charge of the innings, playing a captain's knock that combined elegance with aggression. His 72-run blitz featured five boundaries and four sixes, and it broke the back of the CSK bowling unit.

Despite losing wickets at crucial intervals-including Iyer himself in the 18th over-Punjab held their nerve. Matheesha Pathirana tried to claw CSK back into the contest with two late wickets, but the damage had already been done. Josh Inglis and Marco Jansen completed the job with two balls to spare, sealing Punjab's sixth win of the season.

For CSK, the loss is more than just another defeat. It marks the end of their playoff ambitions and caps off a campaign riddled with inconsistency. MS Dhoni, who chipped in with an 11 off 4 cameo, admitted at the post-match presentation that the final overs with both bat and ball let them down. "From 172/4 to 190 all out-we didn't finish well. That hurt us. And we didn't hold our chances in the field either," he said.

As the league stage heads toward its climax, CSK's remaining matches will now be about pride and playing spoilsport. For Punjab, the road to the playoffs is still narrow, but with their captain peaking at the right time, belief is certainly not in short supply.