MS Dhoni walked out to bat at No. 5—his highest batting position of the season so far—but despite a quickfire 27 off just 12 balls, he couldn’t guide CSK to victory. CSK fell short of Punjab Kings’ target, continuing their struggles in IPL 2025.

CSK’s Continued Struggles in IPL 2025 as Dhoni’s Late Effort Falls Short Against Punjab Kings

Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) disappointing run in IPL 2025 continued with a fourth consecutive loss, as they fell 18 runs short of Punjab Kings’ 219-run target despite a valiant late effort from MS Dhoni. Coming in at No. 5 with 25 balls left and 69 runs needed, the 42-year-old Dhoni turned back the clock with a quickfire 27 off just 12 balls, including three sixes and a boundary. However, his efforts proved insufficient, and CSK couldn’t pull off the chase.

Dhoni’s arrival brought a glimmer of hope to the CSK camp, but his task was made more difficult by Devon Conway’s sluggish innings. Conway top-scored with 69 off 49 balls but couldn’t accelerate when needed, leaving too much to be done in the final overs. His decision to retire out with just over two overs left was seen by many, including former cricketer Simon Doull, as a move that came too late in the chase.

Doull suggested that Dhoni, who still showed his big-hitting ability with three sixes, could have made a significant impact had he batted higher in the order. “Dhoni had three sixes in 12 balls. The rest of the team had five in total. So that tells you he’s still got the ability and power to hit those sixes. That’s why we have been talking about getting him up in the order,” Doull said.

Doull also expressed concerns over the timing of Conway’s retirement, noting that it left little room for Ravindra Jadeja to settle at the crease. “Retiring Conway was an interesting decision… but he was retired out too late, too late for Jadeja to assess,” Doull added.

By the time Dhoni arrived, the required run rate had climbed to 14 runs per over, and it was ultimately too late for CSK to recover.