Chennai Super Kings have suffered major setbacks due to injuries to captain Ruturaj Gaikwad and pacer Gurjapneet Singh
MS Dhoni (Pic: File Pic)
Following their loss to Punjab Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai Super Kings' hopes of reaching the IPL 2025 playoffs have all but ended. Despite CSK’s on-field struggles, former Australian cricketer Aaron Finch shared his thoughts on MS Dhoni’s continued presence and influence on the field.
"When Dhoni gave up the captaincy a few years ago, I don't think he thought he'd have to deal with all this again. But it hasn't gone CSK's way this season. MS is 43, not playing much cricket, just turning up for the IPL, but every moment he's on the field is magical," said Finch on JioHotstar.
Furthermore, the former cricketer urged cricket fans to attend at least one CSK game while MS Dhoni is still playing.
"The noise when he walks out of the dressing room... when he comes out to bat... it's unbelievable. I urge every cricket fan -- if you can, you must go to a CSK game while MS Dhoni is still playing," he added.
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Chennai Super Kings have suffered significant setbacks with the injuries to their captain Ruturaj Gaikwad and Gurjapneet Singh, both of whom have been ruled out of the IPL 2025 season.
Amid a challenging campaign, the only positives for CSK have been the inclusion of three young players, Shaik Rasheed, Ayush Mhatre, and Dewald Brevis. The trio has consistently delivered strong performances in every match they've played.
The loss to Punjab Kings marked CSK's eighth defeat of the season, leaving them in 10th place on the points table. Out of 10 matches, the Dhoni-led side has only managed to win two.
Meanwhile, under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer, Punjab Kings have surged to second place with six wins.
Coming to the match, PBKS won the toss and opted to bowl first. CSK was 48/3 at one point, then a 78-run stand between Sam Curran and Dewald Brevis (32 in 26 balls, with two wins and a six) helped them get back in the innings. Curran continued to fire single-handedly, making 88 in 47 balls, with nine fours and four sixes. CSK was bundled out for 190 in 19.2 overs. It was a hat-trick from Yuzvendra Chahal (4/32) which made CSK collapse from 172/4 to 190 all out. Arshdeep Singh (2/25) was also superb with the ball.
During the run-chase, Priyansh Arya (23 in 15 balls, with five fours) and Prabhsimran Singh gave PBKS a quick start with a 44-run stand. A 72-run stand between Prabhsimran (54 in 36 balls, with five fours and three sixes) and skipper Shreyas Iyer solidified PBKS' control over the game. Iyer continued to take control, scoring 72 in just 41 balls, with five fours and four sixes and stitching a partnership with Shashank Singh (23 in 12 balls, with a four and two sixes). PBKS did lose wickets towards the end, but won by four wickets with two balls left.
Khaleel Ahmed (2/28) and Matheesha Pathirana (2/45) were the top wicket-takers for CSK.
(With ANI Inputs)
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