CSK’s newly appointed skipper, Ruturaj Gaikwad, was ruled out of action after suffering a painful elbow injury during their clash against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati. With Ruturaj sidelined, the legendary MS Dhoni stepped back into the captaincy role. However, Dhoni’s comeback didn’t go as expected, as CSK registered their second-lowest score at Chepauk against KKR in the 25th match of IPL 2025.
Match Overview: CSK vs KKR
KKR’s captain Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and made a bold decision he asked CSK to bat first. A decision that proved to be pure gold. Chepauk is known for being spinner-friendly, and Rahane seemed to play that card perfectly. With conditions that aided turn, KKR’s bowlers were licking their lips.
CSK’s Batting Collapse
CSK endured another tough night at their fortress, struggling to put up a competitive total. The team collapsed to 103/9, marking their second-lowest score at home. Amid the wreckage, Shivam Dube emerged as the lone warrior, displaying resilience with a 31-run knock off 29 balls. While others faltered, he stood firm, offering the only glimpse of fight in an otherwise disappointing batting display.
CSK started their innings with some stability, but their momentum quickly unraveled. At 59/2, they seemed to be building a foundation, but a sudden batting collapse saw them slump to 75/8, triggering a domino effect. The decision to promote Ravichandran Ashwin to No. 5 backfired, failing to provide the expected stability. Risky experiments in the batting order only worsened the situation, forcing CSK to deploy their Impact Player strategy, bringing in an extra batter to salvage the innings.
Heading into the match, MS Dhoni had accumulated 104 runs at a strike rate of 146.48 in IPL 2025—a decent tally but below expectations for a player of his stature. In this crucial encounter, Dhoni faced just four deliveries, managing only a single run before falling to Sunil Narine’s brilliance in the 16th over. His dismissal stunned the crowd into silence, as CSK’s batting woes deepened, leaving fans frustrated and disappointed.
KKR’s Dominance with the Ball
Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine, and Moeen Ali completely stifled Chennai Super Kings, combining for impressive figures of 12 overs, 1 maiden, 55 runs, and 6 wickets. CSK narrowly avoided setting their lowest-ever IPL total of 79, but their final score of 103 still marked their lowest T20 total at home.
CSK’s Previous Lowest Totals
97 vs MI, Wankhede, 2022
103/9 vs KKR, Chennai, 2025 (current)
109 vs RR, Jaipur, 2008
110/8 vs DD, Delhi, 2012
Fan Response and Online Trolling
Twitter exploded. From “Is this CSK or a local team?” to “Dhoni’s magic doesn’t work anymore,” the trolls were ruthless. Chepauk, known for its passionate crowd, turned eerily quiet. The disappointment was palpable as fans watched their team crumble.
I agree with the umpire. There was no bat involved. None of the CSK batters used their bat today pic.twitter.com/PvXnigvjfG
— Sagar (@sagarcasm) April 11, 2025
Yet again, CSK have contributed to planting trees instead of winning the game. A truly selfless act by the team#sarcasm #CSKvsKKR #KKR #CSK #IPL2025 #Dhoni pic.twitter.com/7PDndK1CAe
— Sarcasm (@sarcastic_us) April 11, 2025
CSK should have scored at least a few runs for them 😭 meanwhile csk batters 🤣🤡#CSKvsKKR pic.twitter.com/l1VvQbg7UE
— 𝐈𝐳𝐡𝐚𝐚𝐧༉ (@izhaanshaikh_) April 11, 2025
#CSKvsKKR
Fans reaction after watching CSK batting: pic.twitter.com/yBnn93DfyS— 🇮🇳 رومانا (@RomanaRaza) April 11, 2025
CSK has fully committed to saving Mama Earth 🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/SbnF8l282s
— Dinda Academy (@academy_dinda) April 11, 2025
Chipko movement by Chennai Super Kings pic.twitter.com/6edqjhhSQZ
— Xavier Uncle (@xavierunclelite) April 11, 2025
MS Dhoni’s return as CSK captain in IPL 2025 was filled with emotion, but it didn’t yield the results fans had hoped for. With Ruturaj Gaikwad injured, the team looked directionless with the bat and was completely outplayed by a smarter, more focused KKR side.
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