PowerPlay to Powerless: A data-led breakdown of CSK’s slide in IPL 2025

Heading into Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, Chennai Super Kings had missed the Playoffs just three times in its history— and won the title the year after on two of those occasions. That trend raised hopes of a strong comeback this season.

Instead, CSK became the first team to crash out of Playoffs contention, its campaign undone by a string of home defeats and an untimely injury to captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. Even the return of MS Dhoni to the helm couldn’t revive the side.

Here’s what went wrong with Dhoni’s men this season:

Home (Dis)advantage

Chennai Super Kings has traditionally capitalised on its home-ground advantage, with the MA Chidambaram Stadium serving as a fortress over the years. However, the 2025 season has upended this narrative, with the team suffering five consecutive defeats at Chepauk — its worst home run in history. The solitary win against long-time rival Mumbai Indians in the opening match now appears to have been a false dawn.

The underlying numbers reveal a dual-faceted decline. CSK’s batting dismissal rate at home—14.7 balls per wicket—is the lowest it has ever recorded. The corresponding batting average of 18.93 is also a franchise low, well below the previous nadir of 28.07 in 2010.

Chennai Super Kings’ Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni and Ravichandran Ashwin.
| Photo Credit:
THE HINDU

The bowling unit has offered only marginal improvement. The team’s economy rate of 8.98 and boundary concession rate of 19.50 per cent are both the highest for a complete season. The bowling average has risen to 28.67, marking a 12-year high. Notably, the spin trio of Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin and Noor Ahmad has failed to deliver the expected impact on traditionally spin-friendly surfaces, conceding 8.44 runs per over — CSK’s most expensive home performance to date — with a dot-ball percentage of just 29.8, also an all-time low.

PowerPlay Woes

One of the most conspicuous issues this season has been CSK’s underwhelming PowerPlay batting. The team’s run rate of 7.91 and average of 26.38 in the first six overs rank as the lowest across all teams in the competition. The absence of Gaikwad, who has been a consistent presence at the top, has exposed a vacuum that the out-of-form Rahul Tripathi and Rachin Ravindra failed to fill. This led the side to entrust younger players like Shaik Rasheed and Ayush Mhatre with more responsibility in an attempt to revitalise the top order.

Mumbai Indians’ Ashwani Kumar celebrates the dismissal of Chennai Super Kings’ Rachin Ravindra.
| Photo Credit:
THE HINDU

With the ball, despite Khaleel Ahmed’s knack for picking wickets, CSK has failed to exert control during the PowerPlay, registering the fourth-worst boundary percentage (25.34%) in this phase.

Sedate Middle Order

The early-order issues have had a cascading effect on the middle overs. CSK’s run rate during this period is a league-low 7.54, accompanied by the second-worst batting average of 23.41.

Jadeja’s promotion to No. 4 has not yielded dividends; his strike rate of 92.64 in the middle overs is the lowest among players with a minimum of five innings in that phase. He is joined by Deepak Hooda, Tripathi and Dhoni as batters with sub-100 strike rates in the middle period — further underlining the team’s stagnation.

Chennai Super Kings‘ Shivam Dube reacts after his dismissal.
| Photo Credit:
AFP

Dube, known for his effectiveness against spin, has also struggled, striking at just 112.85 against that match-up. His dot-ball percentage stands at 37.5 per cent, the fourth-highest among batters who have faced at least 30 deliveries in the middle overs.

The Pathirana Question

Since his debut in 2022, Matheesha Pathirana has been a fixture in CSK’s XI, even commanding a Rs. 13 crore retention tag. However, this season, his performances have fallen short of expectations. With only nine wickets at an average of 33.11, and an economy rate of 10.39 — compared to 8 in 2023 7.68 in 2024 — Pathirana has struggled to replicate his earlier impact.

Chennai Super Kings’ Matheesha Pathirana bowls a delivery.
| Photo Credit:
AP

The decline coincides with a remodelled bowling action aimed at reducing injury risk. This technical adjustment has visibly affected his control, particularly on the leg side. His percentage of leg-side wides has jumped from 14 per cent to 32 per cent, diminishing his effectiveness at the death and hampering his ability to build pressure.

Looking Ahead

Despite a disappointing campaign on multiple fronts, CSK can draw encouragement from the emergence of promising talent. Noor and Khaleel have impressive wicket tallies, while injury replacements such as Mhatre and Dewald Brevis have shown glimpses of potential. With only a few matches remaining, the franchise’s immediate focus will be on identifying core players to retain as it attempts to reconfigure for a renewed title bid in the forthcoming season.

Chennai Super Kings‘ Khaleel Ahmed celebrates the dismissal of Punjab Kings‘ Priyansh Arya.
| Photo Credit:
ANI

(All stats are updated till CSK vs PBKS match)