MS Dhoni says 'Not Enough', CSK captain critical of batting after elimination from play-off race

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Chennai Super Kings' hopes of qualifying for the IPL 2025 playoffs came to an abrupt end after a four-wicket defeat to Punjab Kings at Chepauk, a result that left skipper MS Dhoni visibly frustrated with his team's performance-especially with the bat.

Speaking after the loss, Dhoni did not mince words in his assessment of what went wrong in the must-win game. "I think the batting, yes, it was the first time we put enough runs on the board after we were given the best pitch of the season, but I feel it was slightly short of a par score, we needed at least 15 runs more," Dhoni said in the post-match presentation. "It's demanding on the batsmen, but we needed slightly more."

CSK, who were bowled out for 190 in 19.2 overs after a late collapse triggered by Yuzvendra Chahal's hat-trick, seemed to have fallen just short despite a promising platform laid early in the innings. CSK's batting once again crumbled under pressure, with wickets tumbling in the death overs. Despite Shivam Dube being set, he didn't get enough strike as Chahal's spin wrecked the lower order.

The captain, while crediting Punjab for their fightback, was especially impressed by the efforts of two of his own -- Tom Curran and Dewald Brevis-who offered resistance during the middle phase.

"The partnership between Curran and Brevis was fantastic," Dhoni remarked. "I think Curran is a fighter, we all know. Unfortunately, whenever we have tried to give him a chance so far, it was a slow wicket but today's wicket was the best one we had at home this season."

However, the shortcomings in CSK's campaign extended beyond just batting. A glaring issue throughout the season has been their fielding, which Dhoni openly acknowledged. "I think we need to take our catches," he said. CSK had a poor catch conversion rate of just 62%, dropping 19 catches this season -- the second-worst in IPL 2025 behind Rajasthan Royals.

The impact of dropped catches was evident even in the clash against Punjab. Pathirana dropped a straightforward chance to dismiss Prabhsimran Singh early, and it cost the team as Punjab found momentum through the top order and Shreyas Iyer's composed half-century.

Dhoni was also full of praise for Dewald Brevis' all-round contribution. "I think it's momentum in the middle order and he's a very good fielder and he has good power so he can hit good balls for boundaries. He brings energy in the field too. We needed that fresh air, someone not caught up in the spiral. He can be an asset going forward."

While Chennai gave it a fight with the ball, the turning point came during Jadeja's expensive over and Pathirana's struggles with line and length in the death. Punjab's chase was capped off with a boundary off the bottom edge, sealing CSK's elimination.

With the loss, CSK's season ends prematurely, and Dhoni's pointed criticism suggests that a deeper reflection awaits for the franchise, especially in terms of batting application and catching discipline.