Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], May 1 : Chennai Super Kings (CSK) suffered their eighth defeat of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, going down to Punjab Kings (PBKS) by four wickets in a closely fought contest on Wednesday. Despite a much-improved batting performance, MS Dhoni felt the team fell just short of a competitive total.
"I think the batting, yes it was the first time we put enough runs on the board, but I feel it was slightly short of a par score," Dhoni said after the match, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
"It's demanding on the batsmen but we needed slightly more. The partnership between Curran and Brevis was fantastic. I think we need to take our catches," he added.
CSK posted 190, largely built around a fine knock from Sam Curran, who smashed 88 off 47 balls--his highest score in the IPL. Partnering him was young Dewald Brevis, who contributed 32 off 26 balls, including two boundaries and a six. The pair added a partnership of 78 runs in the middle overs.
Speaking about Curran, Dhoni said, "I think Curran is a fighter, we all know. Unfortunately, whenever we have tried to give him a chance so far, it was a slow wicket, but today's wicket was the best one we had at home this season."
The CSK skipper also praised Brevis for his intent and energy, highlighting the impact he can have in the middle order.
"I think it's momentum in the middle order and he's a very good fielder and he has good power so he can hit good balls for boundaries. He brings energy in the field too. We needed that fresh air, someone not caught up in the spiral. He can be an asset going forward," Dhoni added.
Coming to the match, PBKS won the toss and opted to bowl first. CSK was 48/3 at one point, then a 78-run stand between Sam Curran and Dewald Brevis (32 in 26 balls, with two fours and a six) helped them get back in the innings. Curran continued to fire single-handedly, making 88 in 47 balls, with nine fours and four sixes. CSK was bundled out for 190 in 19.2 overs. It was a hat-trick from Yuzvendra Chahal (4/32) which made CSK collapse from 172/4 to 190 all out. Arshdeep Singh (2/25) was also superb with the ball.
During the run-chase, Priyansh Arya (23 in 15 balls, with five fours) and Prabhsimran Singh gave PBKS a quick start with a 44-run stand. A 72-run stand between Prabhsimran (54 in 36 balls, with five fours and three sixes) and skipper Shreyas Iyer solidified PBKS' control over the game. Iyer continued to take control, scoring 72 in just 41 balls, with five fours and four sixes and stitching a partnership with Shashank Singh (23 in 12 balls, with a four and two sixes). PBKS did lose wickets towards the end, but won by four wickets with two balls left.
Khaleel Ahmed (2/28) and Matheesha Pathirana (2/45) were the top wicket-takers for CSK.
PBKS is now at the second spot in the table with six wins, three losses and a no result, giving them 13 points. CSK is struggling at the bottom, with two wins and eight losses, giving them four points.