Chennai Super Kings' disastrous IPL 2025 campaign shows no signs of improving as they succumbed to yet another defeat at home.
Fellow strugglers Sunrisers Hyderabad eased to a five-wicket win at Chepauk after dismissing the five-time champions for 154 on Friday.
Chennai's batting simply could not get going on a sticky surface, with fast bowlers Harshal Patel (4-28) and Pat Cummins (2-21) wreaking havoc with their variations and pace.
Hyderabad chased down the target in 18.4 overs, with Ishan Kishan (44) and Kamindu Mendis (32 off 22 balls) leading the way.
The Super Kings, now led by MS Dhoni after injury to Ruturaj Gaikwad, have lost seven out of nine matches and are at the bottom of the table.
So, does that mean Chennai are out of the IPL?
Chennai Super Kings qualification chances
Realistically speaking, this is the end of the road for Chennai. Not only are Chennai losing, they are being easily outplayed and losing by massive margins.
What's more, not a single player in the batting department looks settled and the team management has failed to make any combination work.
The Super Kings have already tried out 22 of their 27 players and almost everyone has failed. All of which points to an early end to the campaign, although mathematically there is still hope for a top four finish.
Last year, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) were in the exact same position and went on to mount one of the great comebacks in IPL, winning six games in a row to qualify for the playoffs by the barest of margins, pipping Chennai to the post.
In 2024, both RCB and CSK were tied on seven wins and 14 points at the end of the league phase, along with Delhi and Lucknow, with Bengaluru finishing ahead with a better net run rate.
It was an extraordinary turn of events that saw four teams locked on 14 points and one of them getting through, as eight wins and 16 points have generally been the cut off for playoffs.
Chennai too need a similar miracle this year. They need to win all five of their remaining fixtures, move up to 14 points and hope for a multi-team tie on seven wins for the fourth and final playoff spot. Then, it will be up to net run rate.
However, six teams are already on 10 points or more (12) and all of them only need two or three more wins each to reach 16 points themselves, which will mean end of the road for Chennai.
Need for reset
Chennai head coach Stephen Fleming said the franchise most likely made their biggest mistake in the player auction itself.
The Super Kings are known to prefer experienced players over younger talent. Their formula over the years has been to ensure maximum victories at home – which had a uniquely difficult surface – and win a few away from home to ensure qualification.
However, this time the surfaces at all venues have turned out to be equally challenging, and the rest of the teams have brought in better players capable of adapting to all conditions.
Also, Chennai selected players that are barely in demand in any T20 side, which shows in the results.
Coach Fleming admitted they erred during the player auction.
“It's hard to say we got it completely right with the performances we've had. We've been looking over that in detail, around our style of play, and also at how the game is evolving,” Fleming told reporters.
“Other teams have got better and that's the point of the auction. But we just haven't been able to get it right. So you take responsibility from the top down and then you just ask a little more of the players.
“It's also not perfect science. The auction is a very fluid beast. It's like buying 25 houses so you come away at the end of it mentally and physically exhausted. I still think we've got a good squad. We're not far away,” Fleming added.
“A couple of key injuries, a lack of form. We've struggled to nail a game plan. We've chopped and changed too much. There's a lot of responsibility and soul-searching and it starts with me at the top, 100 per cent.”
