"They might have made a match of it had they retired him out earlier" - Aakash Chopra criticizes Devon Conway's knock in CSK's IPL 2025 loss to PBKS

Former India player Aakash Chopra has criticized Devon Conway for playing a slow knock in the Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) IPL 2025 loss to the Punjab Kings (PBKS). He opined that the five-time champions might have made the game closer had they retired out their opener earlier than they did.

PBKS set CSK a 220-run target in Match 22 of IPL 2025 in Mullanpur on Tuesday, April 8. Conway scored 69 runs off 49 deliveries before retiring out in the 18th over, with the visitors being restricted to 201/5 in the chase, losing the game by 18 runs.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener noted that CSK lost the game despite not losing a wicket in the first six overs and questioned Conway for playing at a strike rate of less than 150 when the team was chasing a mammoth total.

"Chennai became the first team to lose a match despite not losing a wicket in the powerplay. This hadn't happened this year, but this is what they have done. However, when a wicket fell, the second fell after the first. Rachin (Ravindra) got out first, and then Rutu (Ruturaj Gaikwad) got out," Chopra said (4:35).

"Then, there was a question about Devon Conway. He was retired out in the end. If you are chasing 11 runs per over from the first over, you can't play at a strike rate of 150. They might have made a match of it had they retired him out earlier," he added.

The cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out that CSK were virtually out of the contest when MS Dhoni arrived at the crease and struck some lusty blows.

"Dhoni came and hit sixes as well, but he came too late. It wasn't his fault this time. He would only come when a wicket would fall. However, the match had gone too far by then. So don't blame Dhoni, blame the others for the way they are batting," Chopra observed.

Dhoni walked out to bat when CSK needed 69 runs off 25 deliveries. Although the veteran wicketkeeper-batter smashed 27 runs off 12 balls with the help of a four and three sixes, he couldn't take his team over the line.

---

"Jadeja, Ashwin and Noor didn't bowl 12 overs" - Aakash Chopra on CSK's bowling in IPL 2025 loss to PBKS

Ravindra Jadeja was economical but bowled only three overs in CSK's IPL 2025 clash against PBKS. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Reflecting on the Chennai Super Kings' bowling, Aakash Chopra noted that the big-ticket spin-bowling trio of Ravichandran Ashwin (2/48 in four overs), Ravindra Jadeja (0/18 in three overs) and Noor Ahmad (1/32 in three overs) again didn't complete their combined quota of 12 overs.

"It was one more match where they played three spinners with big names, on whom they invested ₹30 crore as well, but Jadeja, Ashwin and Noor didn't bowl 12 overs. This was a big ground, but they aren't bowling. They were bowling first, so there was no issue of dew as well. Wickets had fallen, but they still didn't bowl," he said in the same video.

Aakash Chopra also criticized CSK's fielding, highlighting that they dropped a plethora of catches. To conclude, the analyst opined that Ruturaj Gaikwad and company are unlikely to progress this season.