Dhoni's demands: 'A bit more partnerships, a bit more runs, a bit more application'

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni wants his team to "look deep down inside" after they lost their fifth straight game in IPL 2025. CSK were trounced by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by eight wickets with nearly ten overs to spare in a chase of 104.

"I think it's quite a few nights haven't gone our way," Dhoni told the broadcaster after the loss. "What's important is to look deep down inside. I feel the challenge was there. But it's important to accept that challenge, figure out ways how you'll tackle the difficult deliveries, and then look to get runs on the board. Today, I felt we didn't really have enough runs on the board."

Not nearly enough. CSK posted only 103 - their lowest total ever at Chepauk - after being put in to bat by KKR. Before Friday's game, CSK had been chasing in all five games and Dhoni had even said after losing the toss that he wanted to bat first. But a change in ideas didn't change CSK's fortunes.

In the first innings, the pitch was not easy to bat on. KKR seamer Vaibhav Arora swung the new ball away from left-hand openers Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway, and offspinner Moeen Ali found turn immediately when he was given the second over. The ball also stopped a bit in the pitch, which forced some miscued shots. CSK crawled to 31 for 2 in the powerplay before slipping to their third-lowest score in the IPL.

"Yes, it did [stop] but it has been the case over here," Dhoni said about the surface. "Whenever we bowled first, even in the second innings, it stopped a bit. But today in the first innings also it was stopping. But also, if you lose too many wickets, it looks very different because it puts pressure on the batsman who is going in, and with quality spinners it becomes slightly difficult. And we never really got any kind of partnerships going. So that also makes it tough. I feel overall a bit more partnerships, a bit more runs, a bit more application, and we'll be on track."

When asked what message he would pass on to his batters whose slow returns have made CSK the slowest starters in powerplays this season, Dhoni said: "What is important is to also see the conditions. I feel there have been couple of games where we have done decently well. But what is important is to back your strength and play the shots that you can play.

"What is important is our openers are good openers, and they just need to back themselves and play authentic cricket shots. They're not the ones who will start slogging or look to hit across the line. But what is also important is not to get desperate seeing the scoreboard. You need, maybe one or two boundaries and run rate keeps on going. If you start looking for 60 in six overs with our line-up, it will be very difficult for us. It's important to get partnerships going, maybe look to capitalise in the middle and the later overs. That's what our strength will be. But if we lose too many wickets, the middle order needs do their role differently and the slog has been delayed for quite a while."

It's also the first time CSK have lost three consecutive games at home in a single IPL season. The loss to KKR took them to a new low as it was the biggest margin of defeat for them in the IPL in terms of balls remaining, the 59 left in the KKR chase beating the previous record - Mumbai Indians (MI) beating CSK with 46 balls left in 2020. They are, however, not at the bottom of the points table, being placed ninth, just above Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) with a marginally better net run-rate.