In a much-anticipated clash of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) broke their five-match losing streak, securing a five-wicket victory against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. Prior to the match, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni called for a renewed effort from his team, and they responded emphatically.
It’s good to win a game. When you play a tournament like this, you want to win games. Unfortunately, the earlier matches didn’t go our way for whatever reasons. It’s good to have a win on our side; it gives confidence to the whole team and helps us improve in areas we want to improve.
The CSK bowlers laid the groundwork for the victory, with Ravindra Jadeja (2-24) and Matheesa Pathirana (2-46) delivering critical performances to restrict LSG to 166 runs. Rishabh Pant, seeking to find his form, provided a brilliant counter with a score of 63, while Mitchell Marsh chipped in with 30 runs. However, the LSG batting lineup couldn't muster the partnerships needed to build a substantial total.
In pursuit of the target, Shivam Dube anchored the innings with a resilient 43 not out, while Rachin Ravindra contributed 37. Dhoni himself played a pivotal role, earning the Player of the Match title with a quick-fire 26 off just 11 balls, sealing the victory for CSK.
Despite the win, CSK remains at the bottom of the points table, with only two victories out of seven matches. Dhoni acknowledged the challenges faced, reflecting, “We all knew when it doesn't go your way in cricket, God makes it very tough, and it was a tough game. If you see the power-play, we were struggling with the ball… also the fall of wickets.”
Dube spoke about his approach to the innings, emphasizing the importance of playing according to the situation: “Losing five games in a row is not CSK. Our bowlers bowled really well, and I wanted to stay till the end. It’s about playing according to the situation. Instead of attacking, I felt taking the game deep was a better option.”
On the other side, LSG captain Rishabh Pant reflected on his team's performance: “We feel we were 10-15 runs short. We kept losing wickets, and whenever momentum was there, we couldn’t get a partnership. The wicket was nice to bat on; we could have got ten runs more. I'm feeling better about my batting with every game… getting into a rhythm.”
In summary, the match concluded with Lucknow Super Giants scoring 166/7 in their 20 overs, while Chennai Super Kings chased down the target, finishing at 167/5.
Brief Scores: Lucknow Super Giants 166/7 in 20 overs (Rishabh Pant 63, Mitchell Marsh 30; Ravindra Jadeja 2-24, Matheesa Pathirana 2-46) Chennai Super Kings 167/5 in 20 overs (Shivam Dube 43*; Ravi Bishnoi 2-18, Digvesh Rathi 1-23) Result: Chennai Super Kings won by five wickets.
