Chennai Super Kings (CSK) suffered yet another major setback in IPL 2025, falling to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by 5 wickets on Friday. Following the defeat, CSK captain MS Dhoni candidly acknowledged that his side was at least 15-20 runs short of a competitive total.

With this loss, Chennai has now lost 7 out of their 9 matches, leaving them anchored at the bottom of the points table. Speaking at the post-match presentation, Dhoni said, “I think we lost wickets at regular intervals. The pitch was slightly better in the first innings, and 154 was not a par score. After the eighth or ninth over, the pitch slowed down a bit, but it wasn’t anything extraordinary. Better running between the wickets could have added crucial runs.”

Dhoni praised the efforts of his bowlers, particularly the spinners, but admitted that the low score left little margin for error.

Highlighting one of the major concerns for CSK, Dhoni said, “We are struggling to score against spin in the middle overs. We either have to rotate the strike cleverly or hit big shots. That’s where we are falling short. These overs are critical where you can make 5-10 extra runs.”

The inability to maintain momentum during the middle phase continues to haunt CSK’s batting lineup, putting additional pressure on the team during the death overs.

Amid the gloom, young talent Dewald Brevis provided a silver lining. Making the most of his opportunity, the 21-year-old scored an impressive 42 runs off just 25 balls, hitting four sixes along the way. Dhoni lauded Brevis’s performance, stating, “Brevis batted brilliantly. This is exactly the kind of innings we needed in the middle order.”

Notably, this was the first time that Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated CSK at Chepauk. CSK has now lost four out of five home games this season. Their next match is scheduled for April 30 against Punjab Kings at Chepauk.