IPL 2025: Chennai Super Kings suffered a humiliating 8-wicket loss to Kolkata Knight Riders at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Friday, setting a new low for the team.
With CSK having a disastrous day in every way and losing their fifth straight game this season, MS Dhoni’s comeback as captain didn’t go as expected. In addition, CSK added a number of unwelcome records to their already remarkable past.
CSK has now dropped five straight games in a season for the first time since their 2008 IPL debut. Notably, with five championships won, CSK is the team with the second-highest record in the tournament’s history. Following their victory against their bitter rivals, the Mumbai Indians, in the first game of their IPL 2025 campaign, CSK have suffered defeats to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals, Punjab Kings, and KKR.
Their problems were exacerbated by the fact that Friday’s setback was CSK’s third straight home loss of the season, which has never happened in the typically impenetrable Chepauk stronghold. This season, spin and batting collapses have plagued CSK, leaving them looking confused at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
Batting first, CSK scored a pitiful 103/9 in 20 overs, which is not only their second-lowest IPL total ever but also the second-lowest total ever at Chepauk, only surpassed by Royal Challengers Bangalore’s notorious 70 all out in 2019.
CSK’s lowest IPL 97 first-inning totals vs MI, Wankhede, 2022
KKR vs. 103/9, Chennai, 2025*
2008; 109 vs. RR, Jaipur
DD, Delhi, 2012, 110/8
Against KKR, CSK lost six wickets, the most they had ever lost in an IPL innings. With significant efforts, Sunil Narine (3/13), Varun Chakaravarthy (2/22) and Moeen Ali (1/20) destroyed CSK’s middle and lower order.
“We have had a number of evenings when things have gone wrong. The challenge has existed, and we must rise to the occasion. After the game, Dhoni said, “I felt we didn’t have enough runs on the board today.”
“Even if it paused a little when we bowled in the second innings over here (Chepauk), it did so in the first innings today. There is pressure when you lose a lot of wickets, and it is challenging when you have good spinners.
