NEW DELHI: MS Dhoni’s return as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain in IPL 2025 wasn’t marked by the kind of dominance fans at Chepauk are used to. Instead, it turned out to be a forgettable outing for the home side, as they were restricted to just 103 for 9 in their 20 overs by a clinical Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bowling unit.
This total (103/9) is now CSK’s lowest-ever score at their home ground, the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
The collapse was triggered by KKR’s spinners, who accounted for six CSK wickets — the most wickets CSK have ever lost to spin in a single IPL innings.
The Chepauk pitch, known for assisting spin, worked against the home side on the day, as the likes of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy applied the chokehold with clever variations and accuracy.
Lowest 1st innings totals for CSK in IPL history:
97 vs Mumbai Indians, Wankhede, 2022
103/9 vs KKR, Chennai, 2025*
109 vs Rajasthan Royals, Jaipur, 2008
110/8 vs Delhi Daredevils, Delhi, 2012
The 103/9 against KKR also stands as the second-lowest total ever recorded by any team at Chepauk, only behind Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s 70 all-out against CSK in 2019.
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