Chennai, May 1 (NationPress) Chennai Super Kings’ captain M.S. Dhoni reflected on his team's defeat after they were eliminated from the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 following a four-wicket loss to Punjab Kings at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk. In a match that was crucial for their playoff hopes, CSK stumbled at the end, with Dhoni admitting that the team fell short in their scoring despite a commendable batting performance.

“I think the batting was decent; for the first time, we put a competitive score on the board, yet I feel it was a bit under par,” Dhoni stated after the match. “It puts pressure on the batsmen, but we needed to score a bit more.”

CSK, batting first, was bolstered by a resilient 88 off 47 balls from Sam Curran—his first fifty of the season—who overcame challenging conditions to revive the innings after a shaky start. Curran and Dewald Brevis formed a crucial 78-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

Curran later unleashed on the young pacer Suryansh Shedge, hammering him for 26 runs in a single over, providing CSK some momentum as they approached the end of their innings. However, what seemed like a score exceeding 200 was shattered by Yuzvendra Chahal’s remarkable 19th over, where he claimed four wickets, including a hat-trick.

“The partnership between Brevis and Sam was outstanding. We didn’t execute well in the final four deliveries, and in the penultimate over, four batters fell. In closely contested matches, those 7 deliveries are critical. He’s a fighter (Curran). We all know that,” Dhoni emphasized.

After hitting a six, Dhoni was dismissed on the subsequent ball, shortly followed by the losses of Deepak Hooda, Anshul Kamboj, and Noor Ahmad. CSK crumbled from 185/5 to 190 all out.

In response, Punjab Kings started steadily, with Prabhsimran Singh continuing his good form, scoring a brisk fifty with 54 runs from 36 balls, keeping the chase alive before being dismissed by Noor Ahmad.

From that point, captain Shreyas Iyer took charge. Initially calm, he accelerated at the perfect moment, hitting numerous boundaries and sixes, including a 17-run over against Matheesha Pathirana.

Iyer played a polished innings of 72 runs from 41 balls before being dismissed with just a few runs remaining. Shashank Singh added a quick 23 but was also caught spectacularly by Brevis, who juggled and maintained his balance near the boundary.

In his post-match assessment, Dhoni highlighted the areas where CSK needed improvement.

He also praised Brevis’ fielding and overall impact: “I believe he brings momentum to the middle order, is an excellent fielder, and possesses the power to convert good deliveries into boundaries. He injects energy into the field, which we desperately needed. His fresh approach could be vital moving forward.”

The defeat confirmed CSK's exit from the playoff race, marking the first occasion in the franchise’s history of failing to qualify for the knockout stages for two successive seasons.