Chennai Super Kings have picked up where they left off in spirit, but not in results—after a rough start to IPL 2025, they have steadily climbed the ladder over the past month. The turnaround is all the more striking because CSK ended last season with the wooden spoon for the first time in their history, and after losing their opening three matches this term, questions quickly formed around how the side would cope. Injuries piled up, including a setback involving MS Dhoni, while concerns around the bowling made fans wonder whether Chennai could truly flourish without their talisman.
That uncertainty has eased dramatically in the last 25 days. CSK strung together two straight home wins, getting a major boost from Sanju Samson’s return to form—one of those outings featured a century. They then completed a double over the Mumbai Indians before going on to beat the Delhi Capitals away from home on Tuesday. In their most recent run of seven matches, Chennai have managed five victories, lifting them from 10th in the points table to 6th place and sparking fresh debate about whether they can reach the playoffs for the first time since winning the title in 2023.
Can CSK build a playoff push?
With 10 points from 10 matches, Chennai are only two points behind second-placed Royal Challengers Bengaluru and three points adrift of table-toppers Punjab Kings. Both RCB and Punjab Kings, however, still have a game in hand. CSK are also two points behind Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans, who currently sit third, fourth and fifth respectively. One encouraging sign for Chennai is their net run rate, which is better than Gujarat’s.
Despite the progress, there is no guarantee of a postseason berth yet. Under Ruturaj Gaikwad’s leadership, CSK have not made the playoffs so far in this campaign—finishing fifth in 2024 and 10th in 2025. Even at this stage, the route to the top four remains narrow, and the remaining fixtures will define their fate.
Of Chennai’s four matches left, two will come against a struggling Lucknow Super Giants side within the next 10 days. Those games will offer CSK a chance to extend their momentum, and they are expected to start as favourites against the side currently placed 10th. Their final two matches, though, are against teams currently in form—Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans. The clash against SRH is scheduled at home, but CSK have not been at their sharpest at Chepauk this season, losing two of their five home games.
To secure a playoff position, Chennai are likely to need at least 16 points. That means Gaikwad’s side would effectively have to win all four remaining matches to ensure themselves a spot. With the season so finely balanced, even one loss could put their playoff hopes at risk.
Positives for Gaikwad, even with so much still at stake
While the table will matter most in the end, Gaikwad can take comfort from more than just results. One major storyline this season has been the absence of Dhoni and the uncertainty surrounding his return. In that context, Chennai have discovered a dependable finishing option in Kartik Sharma, who has contributed strongly in the last two matches—scoring an unbeaten 54 followed by 41, with both games ending in CSK wins.
Chennai have also shown trust in their squad despite injury disruptions, including the loss of Ayush Mhatre, who had been their only in-form batter early in the tournament before being ruled out. Whether it has been Gaikwad stepping into the role of opener or Sarfaraz Khan appearing in the middle order as an Impact Player, the depth has held up. Dewald Brevis, too, returned from injury at an important moment to strengthen the middle overs as Shivam Dube’s returns have dipped. On top of that, Jamie Overton has stood out for Chennai in this campaign, contributing with both bat and ball.
Samson remains another cornerstone of the lineup. He has totalled 402 runs in 10 matches, including two centuries, plus scores of 48 and 87. Akeal Hosein adds further balance with overseas spin—he has already taken seven wickets in five games, maintaining an economy rate of 7.24.
