"Whole XI feels like it's running on nostalgia" - Former India opener shocked by CSK's horror show against KKR in IPL 2025

Former Indian cricketer Kris Srikkanth was shocked by Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) shambolic performance in the IPL 2025 game against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Chepauk on Friday. Srikkanth felt the entire playing XI is stuck on their past glories and labelled it one of their worst performances ever.

On a slow pitch at the Chepauk, the Knight Riders had asked the home side to bat first after winning the toss. The spin trio of Moeen Ali, Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine ran amok, taking six wickets between them, exploiting the conditions perfectly. Only four CSK batters reached double figures as Kolkata won with eight wickets and 59 balls to spare after restricting the five-time champions to 103/9.

Srikkanth wrote below on X after the Super Kings' fifth defeat in IPL 2025:

"One of CSK's worst defeats ever. Powerplay batting looked like a rehearsal for a test match. Whole XI feels like it's running on nostalgia. Time to think out of the box, why not try isome unsold players like Prithvi Shaw at this point? Would you try it? , even chaos is a strategy?"

MS Dhoni was captaining the Super Kings for the first time in the match since IPL 2023. However, he got out for 1, trapped lbw by Sunil Narine.

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"If we start looking for 60 with our lineup it will be very difficult for us" - CSK captain

MS Dhoni. (Image Credits: CSK X)

At the post-game presentation, Dhoni addressed the Super Kings' powerplay woes. He said that their batters can't keep slogging regularly like other teams, and their strategy is to take the game deep. He said:

"Our openers are good openers, play authentic cricket shots, they don't slog or look to hit across the line. It is important not to get desperate seeing the scorecard. If we start looking for 60 with our lineup it will be very difficult for us. Get partnerships going, maybe capitalise in the middle and later overs and if we lose wickets, the middle order has to do their job differently. And the slog will be delayed for quite a while."

The Super Kings will next face the Lucknow Super Giants on April 14, Monday, in an away contest.