Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) dismal run in the IPL 2025 season continued on Friday (April 11) as they succumbed to an embarrassing eight-wicket defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium.
Asked to bat first, CSK record their lowest-ever score at Chepauk -- 103/9 in 20 overs. It was a listless performance with the bat as no one managed to touch the 40-run mark. Shivam Dube was the top scorer with 31* off 29 balls.
Sunil Narine (3-13), Harshit Rana (2-16) and Varun Chakaravarthy (2-22) were the wrecker-in-chief with the ball for KKR.
In reply, the defending champions overhauled the target in just 10.1 overs, handing CSK their fifth consecutive defeat of the season in six matches so far.
After the game, CSK batting coach Michael Hussey threw his weight behind the current squad, insisting that the five-time champions have the "right players" to turn things around.
"I still think we've got the right players. We've just got to try and help them find some confidence and consistency and then hopefully we can sort of grow and build from that, whether that's with the bat, ball or in the field," Hussey said in the post-match presser.
"There's a lot of talk about the style of our play. But the players we've got, we don't want to ask them to play in a completely different way; that's natural to them.
"They've got here to the IPL for playing really well in their way. I'm certainly not one to try and get them to play in a different way. They play at their best because that's the way they play," he added.
Hussey dismissed suggestions that CSK have stacked their squad with ageing stars or they are hesitant to back young talent.
Notably, the likes of Rahul Tripathi, Shivam Dube, Vijay Shankar and Deepak Hooda feature in CSK’s middle-order and they have failed collectively thus far.
"I would argue that they're beyond their prime. I don't agree with that. We've had players in the twilight of their career come and play at CSK in the past. I think of Shane Watson. I think of Ajinkya Rahane."
"They've performed really well for CSK. I still think that the players that we've got still have some good cricket in front of them and can offer us a lot. We can find their best and see some great performances from them.
"With regards to youngsters, we want to pick guys when they're ready to perform. We've got some very good players that are waiting for their chance. No question about that.
"But sometimes when teams give up and think, 'we can't win the tournament anymore. Well, we'll just try the youngsters now'. That's what, we're still here to try and progress in the tournament as far as we can. We're certainly not putting the white flag up just yet,” Hussey remarked.
CSK are currently languishing in ninth place on the 10-team points table. However, Hussey backed the side to find their way into the top four.
"You only have to get into scraping to that fourth place. In a long tournament like the IPL, it is about momentum. Certainly the momentum is not with us at the moment whatsoever."
"If we can change that momentum and get some confidence going and get a few wins on the board, the confidence will grow. You never know, we might be able to scrape into one of those last positions in the table come playoff time."
The former Australian cricketer acknowledged that CSK have been below-par in all three aspects of the game. "We have certainly been below par in all three facets of the game. (But) we're not out of it altogether. We've got to stick tight, identify the areas we can improve and just get back on that horse as quickly as we possibly can."
“If we start to fracture, if we start to change things too much, which has certainly not been a CSK trait in the past, then things can go worse before they get better. We need to do a bit of soul searching.”
(With PTI Inputs)
