21 April 2025 : Chennai Super Kings were torn apart in a manner rarely seen under MS Dhoni’s watchful presence on Sunday, as Mumbai Indians registered a dominant 9-wicket win over the side, chasing down 177-run target with 26 balls to spare. With the bowlers offering little resistance and the famed spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin unable to extract any help off the surface, CSK looked out of ideas and energy as Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav powered Mumbai Indians to a crushing win.
Even debutant Ayush Mhatre’s sparkling cameo and gritty fifties from Jadeja and Shivam Dube couldn’t hide the cracks in CSK’s execution, particularly with the ball. With the loss, CSK continue to reel at the bottom of the table with only two wins on the board in 8 matches, as their chances for playoff qualification look bleaker with each passing game.
The Super Kings now require a win in all of their matches to put forth their contention for playoffs, and Dhoni, in the post-match interview, was blunt in his assessment of the side. The legendary CSK captain, who resumed leadership duties after Ruturaj Gaikwad’s injury-forced absence, stated that the side will look for the combinations for the 2026 IPL if the side fails to qualify for playoffs.
“What we need to realise is that we are successful because we play good cricket, and at the same time, when we are not playing good cricket, what is important is not to get too emotional about it,” Dhoni began when asked about CSK’s performance.
“Few catches will help. Other than that we are just trying to plug in the holes, with all the games that are in front of us that we are supposed to win, we just take it one game at a time and if we lose a few, what will be important for us is to get the right combination for next year.
Summary: MS Dhoni urges Chennai Super Kings to strengthen their XI for the next IPL season after their playoff hopes were dashed by a loss to Mumbai Indians.