CSK vs DC: DC breaks 15-year streak, beats CSK at Chepauk in IPL 2025
Chepauk once again witnessed a surprising moment, but this time the hero wasn’t MS Dhoni. It was KL Rahul and his Delhi Capitals team. Chennai Super Kings’ fortress, which was considered unbeatable, is now showing cracks. This is the second time in IPL 2025 that a team has broken history at Chepauk.
KL Rahul’s steady and smart innings
Delhi Capitals began their innings carefully. With Faf du Plessis not playing, KL Rahul came to open. He took his time to adjust to the slow pitch. At first, he scored 25 runs in 20 balls. But once the CSK bowlers lost their line, Rahul made full use of it.
He specially targeted IPL 2025’s Purple Cap holder Noor Ahmad — scoring 20 runs off 9 balls with two fours and one six. He also played a reverse scoop shot for a four against Mukesh Choudhary. Interestingly, 40% of DC’s total boundaries came from Mukesh’s bowling alone.
CSK’s batting struggles under pressure
Rahul also struggled to score freely in the last part of his innings, managing only 16 runs in his final 13 balls. DC noticed the situation and used slow deliveries early on to put CSK under pressure. Mukesh Kumar dismissed Rachin Ravindra, and Ruturaj Gaikwad was caught even after timing the ball well. CSK’s score was just 20/2 in the third over. Historically, CSK has always struggled to chase targets over 180 — and this match followed the same pattern.
Vijay’s slow fifty
Vijay’s innings was all about struggle. He hit only one boundary in his first 31 balls. According to ESPNcricinfo, he played 13 attacking shots but got only 19 runs from them. The pitch and DC’s bowling made it hard for him to play freely. He scored 69 runs off 54 balls, but couldn’t lead his team out of trouble.
CSK vs DC: Dhoni’s presence, but no miracle
In the last match, CSK coach Stephen Fleming had said that Dhoni cannot bat for too long, which is why they save him for the end. But this time, the team had no choice. With half the team out by the 11th over, Dhoni had to come in early.
Kuldeep Yadav bowled a brilliant googly to dismiss Jadeja – the ball didn’t even reach the bat, it hit the pad straight away. Dhoni then walked out to bat. A special moment, as his parents were in the stadium – maybe for the first time. Dhoni scored 30 runs off 26 balls, but CSK still lost by 25 runs.
CSK’s declining form: The worrying numbers
| CSK’s Key Issues (IPL 2025) | Stats |
|---|---|
| Win chance during chase (mid-innings) | 9.51% |
| Jadeja’s full overs bowled | 0 out of 4 |
| Ashwin’s full overs bowled | 2 out of 2 |
| Fewest sixes in IPL 2025 | CSK |
| Middle order average (positions 4-7) | 21.23 |
| Middle order ranking | 3rd lowest |
Chennai Super Kings now need to fix their middle-order batting and rework their bowling plans. On the other side, this win gave Delhi Capitals not only two points but also helped them break a 15-year-long record at Chepauk.
Read More
ALSO READ: Rohit Sharma Absence Shocks Mumbai Indians Before Big Match
