Dhoni on CSK's collapse against SRH: 'The score wasn't justifiable'

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni admitted his team was "15-20 runs short" after being bowled out for 154 in their five-wicket loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Friday. The defeat marked CSK’s seventh loss in nine matches during IPL 2025 and their first-ever home defeat to SRH.

At one point, CSK seemed poised for a stronger total, sitting at 114 for 4 in the 13th over, but a dramatic collapse saw them lose their final six wickets for just 40 runs.

"I think we kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Early on, the wicket was slightly better, and 154 is not a justifiable score because there wasn’t a lot of turn," Dhoni said at the post-match presentation. "Yes, after the eighth, ninth, or tenth over, it became a bit two-paced for the fast bowlers, but nothing extraordinary. I feel we could have rotated the strike better and added a few more runs."

Speaking about the second innings, Dhoni noted that the spinners found some assistance, getting bounce and a bit of grip, but reiterated that they were ultimately "short by 15-20 runs."

Brevis shines amid CSK's struggles

One bright spot for CSK was the performance of 21-year-old Dewald Brevis. Making his first appearance of the season after replacing the injured Gurjapneet Singh, Brevis top-scored for CSK with a quickfire 42 off 25 balls, including four sixes—three of which came off one over from spinner Kamindu Mendis.

Praising Brevis, Dhoni said, "He batted really well. We need that kind of momentum in the middle order. We've struggled when spinners come into play—we either need to find gaps consistently or pick the right moments to hit big. That’s something we need to work on."

Dhoni emphasized that dominating the middle overs is crucial to squeezing out an extra 5, 10, or 15 runs, especially when the team gets a good start.

Tough season continues for CSK

The loss keeps CSK anchored to the bottom of the points table with only four points from nine games. They have also lost four out of five home matches this season. CSK's next fixture is a rematch against Punjab Kings at Chepauk on April 30, having already lost to them by 18 runs earlier in Mullanpur.

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