‘If four of your players aren’t performing…’: MS Dhoni assessment after loss against SRH

New Delhi: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper MS Dhoni acknowledged that his side fell 15-20 runs short after suffering another defeat in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. Pat Cummins‘ SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) handed CSK a five-wicket loss, successfully chasing down a target of 155 with eight balls remaining at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday.

It was CSK’s seventh loss in the IPL 2025 season, leaving the five-time champions stuck at the bottom of the points table with just 4 points from 9 games.

Put in to bat first, CSK struggled to complete their 20 overs and were bowled out for 154. Dewald Brevis was the standout performer, scoring a quickfire 42 off 25 balls.

After the match, Dhoni reflected on the loss, saying, “We kept losing wickets, and I felt the wicket was slightly better in the first innings. A total of 155 wasn’t enough, especially since it wasn’t turning much. Around the 8th to 10th overs, it became a bit two-paced for the fast bowlers, but nothing too unusual.”

Dhoni further added, “We could have run a bit better and added a few more runs to the total. In the second innings, there was some help for the bowlers — our spinners found a bit of bounce and the ball was stopping slightly. But yes, we were short by 15-20 runs. That’s an area we need to work on because the middle overs are crucial. You have to capitalize and get those extra 5, 10, or 15 runs, especially after a good start.”

MS Dhoni heaped praise on Dewald Brevis, who made his debut for CSK against SunRisers Hyderabad. Brevis, who was earlier brought in as a replacement for the injured pacer Gurjapneet Singh, impressed in his first outing.

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