MS Dhoni made his much-anticipated return to the captaincy of the Chennai Super Kings, but it’s safe to say it didn’t go as he had hoped. On Friday, during the IPL 2025 match against the Kolkata Knight Riders in Chennai, his team took a real beating. Kolkata put on a dominant display, winning by eight wickets, largely thanks to an amazing performance from Sunil Narine. He bagged impressive bowling figures of 3 for 13 and then followed it up with a quick-fire 44 runs. Narine’s aggressive batting, where he scored 44 runs off just 18 balls, helped KKR chase down a modest target of 104 with a whopping 59 balls left in their innings.
On the other hand, Dhoni’s own performance was another talking point, especially after his controversial dismissal sparked debate on social media. He came in to bat at the number eight position, behind players like R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, but managed to score just 1 run before getting out. During the 16th over of CSK’s innings, a delivery from Sunil Narine got him out when it hit his pads. The on-field umpire gave him out, but Dhoni immediately went for a review. There was only a tiny spike on the UltraEdge when the ball went past the bat, but the third umpire ultimately stuck with the original call, which didn’t sit well with many fans online.
Virender Sehwag weighed in on this, stating that whether Dhoni got out or not wouldn’t have changed the outcome much. He suggested that even if Dhoni had been given not out, CSK’s total likely wouldn’t have exceeded 130. He highlighted that KKR managed to chase down the target in just over 10 overs, implying that the decision couldn’t have made a huge difference overall.
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After the match, Sunil Narine spoke about how pleased he was with his performance, although he mentioned he wished he had taken a catch he dropped earlier in the game. He focused on keeping things simple and doing what he does best—trying to get his team off to a strong start. Narine acknowledged that adapting to the game is crucial, especially during power-play overs, where he tries to read the game and help his team as much as he can.
Moeen Ali also had a commendable game, finishing with figures of 1 for 20, and credited his fellow bowlers and fielders for helping to keep a lid on CSK’s scoring. He pointed out that having two left-handers helped him as a bowler and that he aimed to keep things straight to get the best results. He noted how important the early efforts were in setting the tone for the rest of the match and how Narine’s long-standing contributions to the team have been great for everyone as they learn from each other.
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Now, as the defending champions, KKR will take a breather before their next match against Punjab Kings at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh on April 15, looking to build on this victory and continue their strong run in the tournament.
