Chennai Super Kings (CSK) slumped to their seventh defeat in nine matches in IPL 2025 as they lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at home on Friday. CSK managed a first innings score of only 154, which proved to be too low to defend. It was yet another instance where CSK’s batting failed to fire. Former India opener Virender Sehwag slammed CSK’s use of their batting lineup on a day when Sam Curran was sent in at No. 3 and Ravindra Jadeja at No. 4. Sehwag even labelled Jadeja’s strike rate as poor.
Sam Curran scored 9 runs off 10 balls coming in to bat at No. 3, while Jadeja managed a 17-ball 21. The highly-rated Dewald Brevis was CSK’s only shining light, slamming 42. But he came to bat in at No. 5.
“Half the CSK batters are asking when they will be able to go home, let this tournament come to an end,” Sehwag stated, speaking on Cricbuzz.
“At least one person should’ve taken some responsibility. Brevis was playing that role but he got out playing a shot. If Jadeja is coming up the order, his strike-rate is poor, but at the very least he should’ve stuck around till the 15th-18th over so tahat the team could have play around him,” Sehwag said.
Sehwag pointed out what he felt was wrong with regard to the batting positions at which CSK players came to bat.
“I can’t understand what Sam Curran is doing at No.3 in this line-up. He has played up the order for sure, he has batted No.4 in ILT20 and he has played that role intelligently. But, in this line-up, when you have Brevis, play him at No.3. Then Dube can come in next, followed by Jadeja, Sam Curran and Deepak Hooda. They are missing Ruturaj Gaikwad in this line-up, he used to consistently make runs in Chennai,” Sehwag stated.
Brevis, playing his first match of IPL 2025 after being drafted in as a replacement for the injured Gurjapneet Singh, proved exactly why he is so highly-rated. The South African youngster smashed four sixes and a boundary en route to his 42.
CSK’s total of 154 didn’t prove to be enough. Despite a good bowling effort, SRH chased down the target with eight balls to spare.
As a result, CSK sit rock bottom of the table with two wins in nine matches, with their hopes of playoffs all but over.
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