Former Indian opener, Kris Srikkanth, has expressed his concerns over Chennai Super Kings’ recent performance. The Yellow Army lost their fourth consecutive match in IPL 2025, against the Punjab Kings. CSK lost by 18 runs in a thrilling chase, where they struggled to meet Punjab’s formidable score of 219/6. The defeat has revived discussions about the team’s bowling strategy and their ability to contain opponents below 180 runs.
Former India captain Kris Srikkanth launched a scathing attack on Chennai Super Kings for its woeful fielding effort against Punjab Kings. Kris Srikkanth believes it is high time Chennai figures out its bowling and finds a way to restrict the opposition to 180 because that is the chasing capacity of the current batting unit.
CSK hits a new low in IPL 2025 through their inability to chase runs as batters falters in a chase of anything over 180
Chennai fell to its fourth successive defeat after falling 18 runs short against Punjab Kings on Tuesday night in a gripping run chase. Punjab’s daunting 219/6 was way out of Chennai’s league as the Super Kings continued their quest of chasing down 180-plus targets for the first time since 2018.
Numerous dropped chances massively hindered CSK’s chances of victory. Punjab, who were reeling at 83/5, capitalised on the invaluable lifelines and blazed its way to a 200-plus target.
Chennai Super Kings are in hot water this IPL and if you are a CSK fan, you better buckle up because Kris Srikanth just said what everyone’s been thinking. After yet another failed chase against Punjab Kings, the former India cricketer and longtime CSK supporter didn’t hold back.
Tuesday night at the New PCA Stadium in Mullanpur wasn’t any different from the script we have seen all season. Chasing a mammoth 220, CSK gave it a go but fell 18 runs short, slumping to their fourth straight defeat in IPL 2025. Their only win came in the opener while chasing 156 against Mumbai Indians. Since then It’s been all downhill. In fact, CSK hasn’t chased a 180+ total successfully since 2018.
CSK started well as openers Rachin Ravindra (36) and Devon Conway batted well in the powerplay. However, the scoring rate dried up in the middle overs. Though Conway and Shivam Dube (42) added 89 runs for the third wicket, the required rate never came within reach. The Super Kings eventually finished at 201/5 as PBKS bowlers held their nerves toward the end. Despite MS Dhoni’s explosive 27-run knock off 12 balls, CSK fell short.
The chase had its moments. Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway saw through the powerplay, but as soon as wickets fell in the middle overs, the momentum was gone. Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad managed just 1, and though Dhoni gave fans a bit of nostalgia with a 12-ball 27, the target was just too much with an asking rate of 17+ in the final overs. This isn’t about one match. It us about a pattern that’s refusing to break.
Former India captain Kris Srikanth launched a scathing attack on Chennai Super Kings for its woeful fielding effort against Punjab Kings
It’s high time CSK does something with bowling- Kris Srikkanth
Chennai fell to its fourth successive defeat after falling 18 runs short against Punjab Kings on Tuesday night in a gripping run chase. Punjab’s daunting 219/6 was way out of Chennai’s league as the Super Kings continued their quest of chasing down 180-plus targets for the first time since 2018.
Numerous dropped chances massively hindered CSK’s chances of victory. Punjab, who were reeling at 83/5, capitalised on the invaluable lifelines and blazed its way to a 200-plus target. Kris Srikkanth took to the social media platform X to criticize CSK’s fielding and bowling.
“When you give over 130 runs from 83/5 to 219/6 and keep dropping catches, you are never going to be in a winning position, however good you try and chase!” Kris Srikkanth wrote on X.
Throughout the first innings, Chennai players were tilting at windmills in the field, fluffing up match-defining opportunities. CSK’s tragic story of dropped chances continued, and two of those allowed Priyansh Arya to break the shackles and wallop to a 39-ball century. Khaleel Ahmed was guilty of being caught and bowled in the very first over on a score of six, while Mukesh Choudhary floored it at long-off in the 12th off Ravichandran Ashwin when Arya was batting with belligerence on 73.
The story of missed chances didn’t end there for CSK. The five-time champions paid through the nose after Shashank Singh, who was going about the business with his usual explosive ways, earned a second lifeline when Ravindra dropped a sitter off Noor Ahmad at deep midwicket in the 17th over.
Kris Srikkanth believes it is time for CSK to find out ways to restrict the opposition before 180 and wrote on X,
“Its high time CSK does something with their bowling and restrict the opponents to less than 180 cos the batting order is not set up for a score beyond that! If CSK has to make a comeback then it all rests on their bowling and not their batting!”
With four defeats on the trot, Chennai will retry their attempt to return to winning ways in their upcoming fixture on Friday against the defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders, at Chepauk. A venue where they’ve worked wonders before, but with momentum slipping and confidence dented, something has to give.
Also Read:Â PBKS vs CSK: Priyansh Arya’s Stupendous Ton Overshadow’s MS Dhoni’s Fire-Works