Chennai Super Kings is the first team to be eliminated from IPL 2025 after enduring their eighth loss in ten games. Despite posting 190 after being inserted, CSK ran the risk of being outclassed but managed to take the game down to the wire, albeit to no avail. Punjab Kings jumped up to second spot in the points table thanks to the four-wicket victory.
What was the determining factor?
The 72-run partnership between Shreyas Iyer and Prabhsimran Singh helped Punjab Kings navigate the middle phase smoothly. While dew did come into the picture to rob the spinners off their potency, the pair’s fine ball-striking set the platform for glory.
Under-fire CSK cop early blows
On a sluggish surface, strokeplay was never going to be a walk in the park and CSK’s young openers realized that pretty soon. Both Shaik Rasheed and Ayush Mhatre fell trying to take the aggressive route against Punjab’s seamers who bowled in the right areas considering the pitch conditions. CSK’s promotion for Ravindra Jadeja in the batting order seemed to be paying off with the southpaw hitting left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar for three boundaries in four balls to launch a counterattack. However, the spinner redeemed himself by getting Jadeja to edge behind. It left CSK flimsily poised at the end of the PowerPlay.
Curran, Brevis guide CSK through the middle-over challenge
The innings which was heading south, in keeping with CSK’s recent history in the tournament, received a fillip thanks to a sprightly partnership between Sam Curran and Dewald Brevis. The duo added 78 runs for the fourth wicket, tackling spin with great gusto. Harpreet Brar was hit for 23 in his first couple of overs, which compelled PBKS to turn to pace again in the middle overs. Although summoning the faster men did little to stall the momentum as both Curran and Brevis struck boundaries at will. Even though Omarzai broke the partnership with the wicket of Brevis, Curran accomplished his fifty soon after and kicked his intent up a notch as CSK headed into the death overs.
Wily old fox Chahal produces a hat-trick
Yuzvendra Chahal earned his second IPL hat-trick in the penultimate over of the game. In the same over he had also removed MS Dhoni after being hoisted for a six. That eventful over jolted CSK’s significant finish given Curran had put the wheels in motion by fetching 26 off the 16th over bowled by Suryansh Shedge, and looked primed for a ton. However, against the run of play, he offered a feather to the keeper against Marco Jansen. His 47-ball 88 had nontheless gave CSK more than enough to play with on a deck that was now piquing the interest of the CSK spinners.
𝙒.𝙒.𝙒 🤯
First hat-trick of the season 😍
Second hat-trick of his IPL career 🫡Yuzvendra Chahal is his name 😎
Updates ▶ https://t.co/eXWTTv8v6L #TATAIPL | #CSKvPBKS | @yuzi_chahal pic.twitter.com/4xyaX3pJLX
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 30, 2025
PBKS get off to a flying start in reply
Punjab’s openers came out all guns blazing, a template they have followed hitherto in this edition. Priyansh Arya was the chief contributor in the 44-run opening stand, looking at ease against the team that he’d scored a hundred earlier in the competition. Having smoked Khaleel Ahmed for a couple of boundaries, Arya was eventually bounced out by the left-arm quick. Nevertheless, PBKS had managed to keep the asking rate in check during this period.
Iyer, Prabhsimran put PBKS on course to victory
CSK were expected to dominate via their spinners in the middle overs but with a sliver of dew settling in, none of their spinners held much sway. Additionally, both Prabhsimran and Iyer timed the ball sweetly and picked the gaps in a proficient manner. With Jadeja and Noor Ahmad operating sans vim and vigor, Dhoni called Sam Curran and Matheesha Pathirana into the attack after the halfway mark. The Sri Lankan tweaker continued to underperform, conceding 14 in his first over to exacerbate CSK’s woes of the season. Prabhsimran, who raised a 32-ball fifty, was dropped by Pathirana off Noor but the error didn’t cost a great deal as he perished in the same over. CSK were smelling a bit of a blood, though Iyer seized the moment by thrashing Curran for 15 in the following over and also bringing up his own fifty.
Some nervous moments before crossing the finishing line
With 52 required in the final five overs, PBKS still had some distance to cover. Shashank Singh was up to the task with a crucial six off Noor, but it was Iyer who blew Pathirana to smithereens to in the 17th over and slanted the chase firmly in PBKS’ favour. He fell three shy of the target, but PBKS scrambled over the line with two balls to spare.
