It was a night to forget for MS Dhoni and the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Chepauk. More so, a moment of tactical triumph for a few familiar faces wearing purple and gold. In a match that saw CSK slump to their lowest-ever IPL total at home, it was a trio of former CSK men—Ajinkya Rahane, Moeen Ali, and Dwayne Bravo—who orchestrated their downfall with precision, helping Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) notch a massive eight-wicket win.
Dwayne Bravo, silent assassin vs CSK?
While Rahane led the side with a calm head and shrewd match awareness, the planning that went into this victory began much earlier. KKR’s bowling coach Dwayne Bravo, a Chepauk cult hero and a three-time IPL winner with CSK, had clear insights into the kind of surface they were up against.
After all, Bravo is still the highest wicket-taker in T20s at the MA Chidambaram Stadium with 49 scalps at an incredible strike rate of 17.4 at the venue in 41 innings.
Moeen Ali-Rahane for KKR, not CSK
Moeen Ali, who featured for CSK until last season, was entrusted with opening the bowling and delivered a wicket-maiden, removing Devon Conway with a clever off-spinner that beat the left-hander’s reverse sweep. It was a well-planned move to counter the two Kiwi left-handers up top.
Even KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane acknowledged that Moeen and Bravo’s familiarity with the Chepauk ground helped the defending champions. “We played here the last couple of years—Moeen, DJ Bravo—so we had an idea of what to expect,” said Rahane at the post-match press conference. “We didn’t think the pitch would be that sticky, but it worked perfectly for our spinners. We backed our plans, and the execution was spot on.”
Clinical KKR overpower CSK
And it truly was. Narine and Varun Chakravarthy ran riot in the middle overs, combining for 5 wickets and strangling CSK’s batting rhythm. Even Dhoni, returning to captaincy, looked short of answers as CSK stumbled from 59/2 to 75/8.
Then came the icing—KKR’s power-packed chase. Seven sixes in the PowerPlay showed the difference in intent. Narine bludgeoned 44 off 19, and Rahane calmly steered the rest of the chase, finishing it off in just 10.1 overs.
Heaviest Defeats for CSK in IPL
| Margin of Defeat | Opponent | Venue | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 59 balls | KKR | Chennai | 2025 |
| 46 balls | MI | Sharjah | 2020 |
| 42 balls | PBKS | Dubai | 2021 |
| 40 balls | DC | Delhi | 2012 |
| 37 balls | MI | Mumbai | 2008 |
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