Chennai Super Kings (CSK) finally brought their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 campaign back on track with a solid five-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Match 30 at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Cricket Stadium.
Chasing a tricky target of 167 on a sluggish surface, CSK combined early discipline with the ball, a steady middle phase, and a trademark finishing act from MS Dhoni and Shivam Dube to secure only their second win of the season and snap a five-game losing streak.
After the game, Dhoni was seen sharing a light-hearted chat with LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka—a reunion of sorts, as Goenka also owned the now-defunct Rising Pune Super Giant franchise where Dhoni played for two seasons.
Earlier, CSK’s bowlers laid the groundwork with a composed and clinical display. Khaleel Ahmed struck in the very first over, dismissing Aiden Markram thanks to a sharp running catch from Rahul Tripathi. Anshul Kamboj, brimming with confidence, then accounted for the dangerous Nicholas Pooran with a clever change of pace, aided by a successful DRS review from a smiling Dhoni behind the stumps.
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LSG skipper Rishabh Pant held the innings together with a gritty 63 off 49 balls—his first half-century of the season. Walking in after the early setbacks, Pant stitched key partnerships with Mitchell Marsh (30 off 25) and Ayush Badoni (22 off 17). But CSK’s spin trio stifled the flow in the final stretch.
Ravindra Jadeja was exceptional through the middle overs, removing Marsh and later dismissing Badoni via a sharp stumping—marking Dhoni’s 200th fielding dismissal in the IPL. Noor Ahmad applied the squeeze, conceding just six runs in the 15 balls he bowled to Pant. At the death, Matheesha Pathirana kept things tight, restricting LSG to 166/7—well below par on a surface offering grip and turn.
CSK’s chase saw a surprise at the top, with Shaik Rasheed making his IPL debut in place of Devon Conway. Opening alongside Rachin Ravindra, Rasheed made an immediate impression with a fluent 27 off 19, including a classy flick and a powerful pull. Rachin too looked in fine touch, scoring 37 off 22 as the duo raced to 50 in just 4.2 overs.
However, LSG clawed back through spin. Ravi Bishnoi and Aiden Markram removed Rachin and Tripathi in quick succession. Jadeja fell soon after, and Vijay Shankar departed trying to up the tempo, leaving CSK at 111/5 in 15 overs—needing 56 from the final 30 balls.
Promoted ahead of Jamie Overton, Dhoni took his time initially before opening up. A couple of boundaries in the 16th over, followed by a vintage one-handed six in the 17th, brought the crowd and the CSK dugout to life.
At the other end, Dube soaked up the pressure before erupting in the 19th over. He hammered Shardul Thakur for a boundary, a six off a full toss, and took advantage of a no-ball to collect 19 runs—reducing the equation to just 4 off 6.
Dhoni fittingly remained unbeaten at the crease as CSK overhauled the target with an over to spare. Dube stayed not out on 43 off 37, while Dhoni’s blazing 26 off just 11 deliveries proved decisive.
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