IPL 2025: CSK Looks to Reignite Campaign in Encounter with PBKS
The elephant in the room though is the role of MS Dhoni
Going into the IPL 2025, the name of MS Dhoni inspired awe and aura. Four matches into the season for CSK, Dhoni's batting approach and his place in the team have all under question, as CSK's lack of intent in batting has become the laughing stock of the tournament.
To be sure, SRH is below CSK in the points table. But the former 5-time champions have been the decidedly boring team in the season so far. And that is because its batting has not clicked and, worse, its batsmen have not shown much intent. Save for captain Rituraj Gaikwad and Rachin Ravindra, none has scored a fifty at the top. In the middle, Vijay Shnkar has had a half-century (against DC), and the way it was made left a lot to be desired. CSK is struggling both in the powerplay and middle overs, that by the time the death overs the innings is more or less collapsed.
Dhoni, its one-time finisher, has been comical as he is unable to rotate the strike nor he is able to pull off those big shots. The match against RR and DC made for painful watching as the batsmen couldn't do anything even as the asking rate was climbing with every ball. It eventually lost by 25 runs, but the same seemed finished much before the final overs arrived.
In the event, tonight's match at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, Chandigarh will show whether the legendary team has it in it to turn the season around. The team is struggling to find the right balance, with its batting lineup underperforming and their powerplay strike rate (7.5) being the lowest in the league.
Captain Gaikwad has been forced to adjust his batting position, and the team is heavily reliant on Shivam Dube and Ravindra Jadeja to step up in the middle. And they haven't so far. Overseas allrounders like Sam Curran and Jamie Overton too have not come to the party. Ravichandran Ashwin has also been below par with both ball and bat. Rahul Tripathi and Deepak Hooda, two big Indian signings, too have not got going.
PBKS started the season strong with back-to-back wins but stumbled in its last match against Rajasthan Royals, losing by 50 runs. Under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer, PBKS has shown promise, with players like Glenn Maxwell and Nehal Wadhera delivering impactful performances. Arshdeep Singh, the left-arm pacer, has been consistent with the ball, especially in the death overs.
Despite its recent loss, PBKS appears to have a more balanced squad compared to CSK. Both teams are under pressure to deliver, but PBKS seems to have the upper hand with home advantage. CSK, however, has a history of bouncing back in tough situations.
CSK and PBKS have faced each other 30 times in IPL history, with the former winning 16 of them. The last encounter between these two teams saw PBKS emerge victorious by seven wickets.
The pitch at Mullanpur is known to favour batters, with an average first-innings score of 170. Teams winning the toss are likely to bat first, aiming to post a challenging total and put pressure on the chasing side.
Probable teams:
Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Devon Conway, Vijay Shankar, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana.
Punjab Kings: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen, Arshdeep Singh, Lockie Ferguson, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harpreet Brar.
