Who said what - Top 5 expert reactions to CSK's embarrassing loss to KKR in IPL 2025 ft. Harbhajan Singh 

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) hosted the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 25th match of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) on Friday, April 11, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and opted to field first.

The Super Kings endured a dismal outing with the bat, managing just 103/9 in their 20 overs — their lowest-ever total at home. Shivam Dube was the top scorer with an unbeaten 31 off 29 deliveries, while Sunil Narine starred with the ball for KKR, picking up three crucial wickets.

Chasing a modest target of 104, KKR made light work of the run chase, cruising to an eight-wicket victory with 59 balls to spare. The result marked CSK’s fifth consecutive loss in the 2025 season — a humiliating defeat on their home turf.

On that note, in this article, we look at the top five expert reactions to CSK’s embarrassing loss to KKR in IPL 2025.

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Top 5 expert reactions to CSK's loss against KKR in IPL 2025

#1 Sanjay Bangar

Former India cricketer and coach Sanjay Bangar remarked that the Chennai Super Kings are currently in a troubling state, particularly with their underwhelming batting performances. He opined that the players appear to be lacking clarity in their approach. In a conversation with ESPNcricinfo, the 52-year-old noted that the team seem to be low on confidence. He said:

“It’s hard to explain that but it just tells you that at the moment the team is in tatters, if that is the right word. “If you look at Noor (Ahmad) blocking the ball in probably the 16th or 17th over. Dube goes on strike, Dube takes a single and then Noor gets out, so that kind of tells you at the moment, they are not just thinking right.”

“They are lacking in confidence all throughout, not necessarily the batters who are likely to play this match but impact subs Deepak Hooda when he came in. It’s not only about one particular individual, it’s about the entire group, at the moment, they are just feeling very very under confident,” he added.

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#2 Manoj Tiwary

Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary criticized the Chennai Super Kings for their lackluster performance against the Kolkata Knight Riders, pointing out flaws in their tactical approach. Speaking about CSK’s defeat on Cricbuzz, Tiwary said:

"Why do they not go to the drawing board early? I think it is obvious that you reassess after a loss. But some things that are taking place are beyond my understanding. Like, when Ashwin was bowling today, earlier to all the left-handers he bowled round the stumps, but today he bowled over the stumps. It became very easy for Sunil Narine. These small things...when you have such an experienced player and wicketkeeper like MS Dhoni? Have their brains stopped working?"

The 39-year-old further expressed his confusion over the delayed introduction of Noor Ahmad into the attack, suggesting that MS Dhoni may have made a rare tactical error during the match. He said:

"From hereon CSK's cart is going to go downhill. It seemed like that from the last three-four matches. You see the shot selection of the players, after playing from 20-25 years, you get to realise what can happen. I couldn't understand some things. Your Purple Cap winner is Noor Ahmad, but when did he come to bowl? In the 8th over. And in the first ball itself, he scalped the wicket of Sunil Narine.”

"Naturally, the cricket sense tells you that if the opposition spinners are doing so well, then you have the Purple Cap winner, why not bring him early? Generally MS Dhoni does not make such a mistake. I have not seen it in so many years. Why did it happened today, maybe it is worth knowing.,” Tiwary added.

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#3 Aakash Chopra

In a video on his YouTube channel ‘Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener said the Chepauk surface didn’t justify a total as low as 103. He pointed out that the Chennai Super Kings managed to cross the 100-run mark after a few dropped catches helped their cause. Aakash said:

"The truth is that this wasn't a 103-run pitch. This was a pitch where a minimum of 145 to 150 runs should have been scored, and if you played well, you could have scored 160 to 165. It wasn't a 200-run pitch, but they didn't do anything in batting.”

"You reached only 103 despite catches being dropped. You reached this far because Shivam Dube hit two fours in the end, or else no one is able to bat and I will talk about the big people - Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra and Ravindra Jadeja after that. Then I will talk about MS Dhoni,” he added.

The 47-year-old also pointed out that MS Dhoni coming in to bat after Ravichandran Ashwin was a decision that didn’t work. He further emphasized that even if the controversial decision regarding Dhoni's dismissal had gone in the 43-year-old's favor, CSK still wouldn’t have been able to post a higher total. He said:

"They even sent (Ravichandran) Ashwin up the order this time. Thala came to bat even below him. That doesn't work. The question would be whether he was out or not. The truth is that the umpire needs conclusive evidence to overturn the on-field umpire's decision. Even if he had not been given out, they might have scored 110-120. It was never going to be enough.”

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#4 Piyush Chawla

Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla proposed that CSK should look at promoting young talents like Andre Siddarth. The 36-year-old pointed out that players like Rahul Tripathi and Deepak Hooda have been out of form, and bringing in fresh faces could potentially boost the confidence of the entire team. In a conversation on JioHotstar, he said:

“At this stage, I think Chennai Super Kings should consider bringing in youngsters. Someone like Andre Siddarth, who is a solid middle-order batter, deserves a chance. You’ve already seen enough of Rahul Tripathi and Deepak Hooda. So why not give these young players an opportunity to show what they’re capable of? A new face might come in, get some quick runs, and boost confidence—not just for themselves but for the whole team. Not saying they should make wholesale changes—but maybe one or two tweaks to freshen things up.”

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#5 Harbhajan Singh

Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh, on his YouTube channel ‘Harbhajan Turbanator Singh,' expressed his bewilderment over MS Dhoni coming in to bat at No. 9. The 44-year-old said if MS sees himself as a No. 9 player, he shouldn’t be playing in the IPL.

Harbhajan acknowledged that the franchise benefits from Dhoni’s presence, particularly in terms of sponsorships, but suggested that even if the veteran remains with the team as a mentor, the squad would still benefit. The former spinner said:

"Dhoni at number nine again. For me, this is a question I don't have an answer to. Perhaps even Dhoni, if he sits down and thinks about it, will wonder if he is a number nine player. First of all, if yes, then he should not be playing in the IPL. What I believe is that Dhoni's legacy is very big. He is a very successful captain, and what he has done for this franchise from day one until now is tremendous. But somewhere, if you become a burden on the same franchise.”

"Then I think the time has come for him to say, 'No, that's enough now.' Because the name is so big, right? I understand that the franchise benefits from his presence in terms of sponsorships. But even if he stays as a mentor with the team, the franchise will still benefit from sponsorships. But if Dhoni wants to play, my simple opinion is that he is a great player, and he needs to think for himself what he wants to do,” he added.

CSK's next match will be against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Monday, April 14, in Lucknow.