Chennai Super Kings (CSK), under Ruturaj Gaikwad, were already struggling to find momentum in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025). But after Gaikwad suffered an elbow injury, the captaincy returned to an uncapped player but a legend MS Dhoni. Fans hoped Dhoni's leadership would spark a turnaround¡ªand some even believed that nothing could go wrong with "Thala" back at the helm.
However, reality has been far from ideal. In their latest clash at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, CSK crumbled to a paltry 103 for 9¡ªtheir lowest IPL total ever at Chepauk. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) chased it down effortlessly in just 10.1 overs, sealing an 8-wicket win with a staggering 59 balls to spare¡ªCSK's biggest loss in terms of balls remaining.
This marks CSK's 5th consecutive defeat since their opening win against Mumbai Indians (MI)¡ªa first in franchise history. More worryingly, they've now lost three matches in a row at their home ground, another unwelcome record.
-?First, they lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by 50 runs¡ªRCB's first win in Chennai in 17 years.
-?Then came a defeat to Delhi Capitals (DC), who beat CSK by 25 runs¡ªending their 15-year drought at Chepauk.
-?And now, KKR handed CSK a thumping, chasing down the target in just over 10 overs.
With CSK looking jaded, weak, and out of form, rival teams no longer fear playing at what was once the most intimidating venue in the league. Fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice their disappointment and disbelief.?
One user wrote: "Dhoni's fortress falls! KKR demolish CSK by 8 wickets, scripting the first 5-match losing streak in CSK history. Narine & Co. turn Chepauk into a hunting ground."
Another said: "Humble request to all¡ªstop calling Chepauk CSK's fortress."
A fan commented: "Those days are dead and buried when Thala used to cook every team at Chepauk¡ The fortress isn¡¯t the same anymore."
One angry supporter wrote: "It's not about winning or losing! But what CSK is doing is frustrating¡ªno intent, no spark. For 17 years, Chepauk was our fortress. You've broken it into pieces. MS Dhoni, sorry to say this, please retire."
Another simply stated: "Fortress Chepauk has been breached. The Lions have been tamed in their own den."
CSK's batting woes continued as their top order once again failed to make an impact. Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, and Rahul Tripathi struggled to get going, while veteran MS Dhoni and Noor Ahmad barely troubled the scorers. None of them managed to stay long enough to build any momentum, leaving the team in deep trouble early on.
It was Vijay Shankar who finally showed some intent, playing a quick 29 off just 21 balls. Shivam Dube also tried to steady the innings with a gritty 27 off 28 deliveries. Despite their efforts, CSK could only crawl to a below-par total.
KKR, on the other hand, were clinical with the ball. Sunil Narine starred once again with a three-wicket haul, while Varun Chakaravarthy and Harshit Rana picked up two wickets each. Moeen Ali and Vaibhav Arora chipped in as well, ensuring all six bowlers in the attack shared the spoils in a dominant team performance.
Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock(w), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Moeen Ali, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy
Impact Subs: Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Manish Pandey, Rovman Powell, Luvnith Sisodia, Anukul Roy
Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Rahul Tripathi, Vijay Shankar, Shivam Dube, MS Dhoni(w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed
Impact Subs: Matheesha Pathirana, Jamie Overton, Deepak Hooda, Shaik Rasheed, Kamlesh Nagarkoti?
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