CSK look to Dhoni to prevent a third straight loss at their Chepauk stronghold

CSK Turn to Dhoni Amid Crisis, Look to Avoid Hat-Trick of Defeats at Chepauk

Murphy’s Law seems to be haunting Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2025. After four consecutive defeats, CSK have now lost captain Ruturaj Gaikwad to injury for the rest of the tournament. In response, the franchise has sent out an SOS to MS Dhoni, who returns to lead the side once again.

Dhoni’s return comes at a critical juncture. CSK are on the brink of their first-ever three-match losing streak at Chepauk — a venue once considered their fortress. Last weekend, the usually electrifying stadium fell eerily silent as CSK crumbled against Delhi Capitals, despite Dhoni being at the crease.

CSK's powerplay has seen some revival through the pairing of Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway, but the middle order continues to struggle. Batters from positions 4 to 7 have the lowest combined strike rate this season (126.04). In contrast, KKR’s middle order has struck at 147.18 — better, though not elite.

Both CSK and KKR find themselves in the lower half of the points table and have voiced dissatisfaction with home pitches. What Chepauk has in store on Friday remains to be seen.

KKR will hope for spark from Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, who are yet to hit peak form. Varun Chakravarthy remains a standout, especially at Chepauk, where he tasted IPL and TNPL glory last year.

Form Guide:

• CSK: LLL

• KKR: LWL

Shifting Loyalties:
Ajinkya Rahane, once a key figure in CSK’s resurgence, now captains KKR. He'll team up with Dwayne Bravo — another ex-CSK veteran — who is mentoring KKR this season.

Team News:
Dhoni returns as captain for CSK. Rahul Tripathi may slot in for the injured Gaikwad. Moeen Ali could return for KKR if the pitch assists spin.

Probable XIs:

CSK: Rahul Tripathi, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Shivam Dube, Vijay Shankar, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (c/wk), R Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana

KKR: Quinton de Kock (wk), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Moeen Ali/Spencer Johnson, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy

Key Battles & Stats:

• Dhoni averages just 0.68 runs per ball vs Narine in IPL history (39 off 74 balls, one dismissal).

• Varun Chakravarthy has dismissed Dhoni three times in 16 balls.

• CSK have hit the fewest sixes this season (31 in five matches).

• Narine has dominated Ashwin with the bat: 94 off 39 balls at a strike rate of 240+.

• Vaibhav Arora has excelled against left-handers in the powerplay, including Conway and Ravindra.

Tactical Watch: Should KKR push Russell up the order? The big-hitter came in at No. 8 against MI and hasn’t had much time in the middle. However, KKR might be cautious — Ashwin has dismissed him twice in 17 balls for just 16 runs in T20s. Against Jadeja, Russell has scored 69 off 38 with two dismissals.

Spotlight:
Shivam Dube could face extra pace again after struggling against Lockie Ferguson. Meanwhile, Venkatesh Iyer, who struck 60 and 45 in recent games, returns to the venue where he helped KKR win their third IPL title.

Pitch & Conditions:
The Chepauk surface remains unpredictable, with Stephen Fleming admitting the team hasn’t figured it out in recent seasons. The weather is expected to be clear.

Quote:

"We rate them as a highly-skilled team, and we will look to go out there and play the game and win."
— Venkatesh Iyer on facing CSK at Chepauk

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