Virender Sehwag didn’t hold back while weighing in on Ms Dona’s short-lived stay at the crease during Chennai Super Kings’ humiliating defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday night. During the post-match show after KKR’s dominant win, anchor Jatin Sapru asked Sehwag whether Dhoni staying till the end could’ve salvaged CSK’s innings; however, Sehwag shut the door on the speculation with a trademark blunt assessment.
“I don’t think so. If he didn’t get out, they could’ve scored a maximum of 130. KKR chased this target (104) down in 10.1 overs. We would be coming live at 11:30pm instead. That would’ve been the only difference,” Sehwag said, clearly unimpressed with Chennai’s batting meltdown at their fortress.
It was a historic low for CSK — the first time they’ve lost three consecutive matches at Chepauk in IPL history. Making matters worse, the team was restricted to just 103/9, their lowest-ever total at the venue and the side’s third-lowest overall in the league’s history.
The five-time champions looked completely out of sorts despite the return of Dhoni as captain, who stepped in following Ruturaj Gaikwad’s injury ruling him out of the tournament.
CSK’s poor outing
Batting at No. 9, Dhoni managed just one run off four balls before falling LBW to Sunil Narine in the 16th over. His dismissal silenced a stunned Chepauk crowd and again sparked conversations around whether the veteran keeper should’ve come in earlier.
CSK’s innings never found momentum. Their powerplay produced just 31 runs, and wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals. Shivam Dube (31*) and Vijay Shankar (29) helped CSK breach the three-figure mark, as KKR’s spin-heavy attack – led by Narine (3/13) and Varun Chakaravarthy (2/18) – ruthlessly dismantled the hosts.
In response, KKR cruised to the target in 10.1 overs, with Sunil Narine smashing a blistering 44 off just 18 balls, including five sixes. The chase was wrapped up by Rinku Singh’s towering six off Ravindra Jadeja.
This was CSK’s fifth-successive loss in IPL 2025, as the side reels at ninth spot in the points table with only one win so far. KKR, meanwhile, entered the top-4, currently placed third with three wins and as many losses in six matches.
