MS Dhoni laments late collapse as PBKS knock CSK out at Chepauk: 'Seven deliveries mean a lot'

Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni highlighted how seven balls can change the outcome of a match after his team suffered a four-wicket loss against Punjab Kings on Wednesday that effectively ended their hopes of reaching the playoffs of the 2025 Indian Premier League . Dhoni, who dropped a hint on his future during the toss at Chepauk on Wednesday, also heaped praise on all-rounder Sam Curran for his explosive 47-ball 88 but felt the ‘Yellow Army’ needed another 15 runs on the board.

Curran’s knock, which contained nine fours and four sixes, and his 78-run partnership with middle-order batter Dewald Brevis had the Super Kings eyeing a score well above 200. The five-time championships, however, failed to bat through their innings, getting bundled out for 190 with four deliveries left in their innings.

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Senior India and PBKS leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal halted CSK on their tracks with a haul of 4/32 – all four wickets coming in the penultimate over of the innings with 'Yuzi' completing his second hat-trick in the IPL in the process.

“I think the batting - yes, it was the first time we put enough runs on the board. But was it a par score? I feel slightly short. Yes, a bit demanding from the batters but I feel we could’ve got slightly more. I feel we need to take our catches. The partnership between Brevis and Sam was excellent.

“We didn’t play the last four deliveries, and the second last over four batters got out. In close games, those seven deliveries mean a lot,” Dhoni said during the post-match presentation ceremony following his team’s eighth defeat in 10 matches.

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Dhoni hails ‘fighter’ Curran, calls Brevis an ‘asset’

‘Captain Cool’ described Curran as a “fighter” while adding that the southpaw made full use of a batting-friendly wicket at Chepauk after being served slow surfaces at home earlier in the season. Dhoni also praised Brevis, who joined CSK this year after representing fellow five-time champions Mumbai Indians for three seasons, for his fielding and power-hitting.

“Well he’s (Curran) a fighter. That’s something we all know. Whenever he turns up he wants to contribute. Unfortunately so far, whenever we tried to give him a chance, the wicket was on the slower side and he found it slightly difficult. But today’s wicket was one of the best we’ve got at home in this tournament. That’s the reason I felt we needed another 15 runs.

“It’s the momentum in the middle order (Brevis offers). He’s also a very good fielder, he has power and he can hit good balls for boundaries. And he brings good energy. Happy with the way he’s playing. He can be an asset going ahead,” Dhoni added.

Carnage from Curran! 🔥#SamCurran goes berserk hitting 26 runs in the 16th over! Can he take #CSK to a mammoth total?

Watch the LIVE action ➡ https://t.co/KXCjo6jCjI #IPLonJioStar 👉 #CSKvPBKS | LIVE NOW on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 Hindi & JioHotstar! pic.twitter.com/tBKHIbjNNg

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) April 30, 2025

PBKS kept their playoff hopes alive with their sixth victory in 10 matches, chasing the 191-run target down with four wickets and two balls to spare with Shreyas Iyer starring in the win with a captain’s knock of 72 off 41 balls.

Punjab should have waltzed their way past the finish line, needing 6 to win from 12 balls with six wickets in hand and a set Iyer at the crease at the end of the 18th over. PBKS, however, could collect just four runs in the penultimate over bowled by Sri Lankan quick Matheesha Pathirana, who castled Iyer in the process.

Left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed made things even more interesting in the final over, starting with a dot and a wide before getting rid of Suryansh Shedge. Bowling all-rounder Marco Jansen, however, dashed CSK’s hopes of taking the game to a Super Over with a streaky boundary in the fourth ball that came off his inside edge.

Iyer opens up on his love for chasing, especially big targets

“Love chasing on any field and I feel I thrive when there is a big total on the board and you need to take the charge and build the momentum for the next batters. Try to play on my instincts and back myself,” Iyer said after guiding his team to victory with a knock that bagged him the Player of the Match award.

The Mumbaikar, who had led Kolkata Knight Riders to their third IPL title last year only to be released by the franchise later that year, added that it did not matter to him whether he was batting at PBKS’ home venue in Mullanpur or away.

Iyer currently is the 10th in the list of leading run-scorers this season, with 360 runs at an average of 51.43 and a strike rate of 180.90. A vast majority of those runs, 335 to be precise at an average of 111.66, have come away from home – including an unbeaten 97 against Gujarat Titans in PBKS’ season-opener in Ahmedabad.

“I don’t want to curse it at the moment, I’m enjoying as much as possible, trying stay in the present and just reacting to the ball. Once I get to know if there is a big total, does not matter home or away, I keep the same approach, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. I know if I stay out there, I can chase down any target.

“Lately I have been batting a lot in the nets and facing the quick bowlers with the new-ball, I know the ball will skid on and come at a great pace. It has given me immense confidence. This is one part which I have really worked on. The attitude I keep is high all the time whenever I enter the field. These four boxes I tick and you see the reflection on the field,” Iyer added in the post-match presentation ceremony.