The Indian Premier League never fails to disappoint, and the IPL 2025 has already given the fans enough things to talk about already. The start of the season has been very different from what fans have anticipated initially. Record broken, surprises came and myths ended; the first round of the season was like a box-office entertainment. From RCB’s historic win over CSK to SRH’s batting woes, let’s look the big stories from Week 1 of the IPL 2025.
RCB breaks 17 year-old Jinx
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) finally broke a 17-year jinx by defeating Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Chepauk Stadium. The match was decisive, with RCB winning by 50 runs. This victory was significant for RCB, as they had not won against CSK at this venue since 2008.
Under the captaincy of Rajat Patidar, the team bounced back and secured this historic win. It was the same RCB that, in the last season, achieved a crucial victory against CSK to qualify for the playoffs and knock CSK out of contention. CSK could not take revenge this time, and RCB once again made history by dominating CSK.
Ashutosh Sharma makes “Impact” in real ways
Delhi Capitals’ player Ashutosh Sharma delivered an outstanding performance against Lucknow Super Giants in their first match of IPL 2025. In the match at Vizag, LSG batted first and scored 209 runs, setting a target of 210. Delhi Capitals struggled initially, with their top and middle order failing to score.
Ashutosh Sharma, who came in as an impact substitute, scored 66 not out in just 31 balls. With 5 sixes and 5 fours, he took control of the innings and finished victoriously in the final over with only one wicket remaining. It was a historic moment for the young, uncapped player from a small town as he exceeded expectations.
Unsold Shardul Thakur shows why he’s the ‘Lord’
It’s hard to believe that Shardul Thakur, who is now playing for Lucknow Super Giants, went unsold until the final days of the auction when he replaced the injured Mohsin Khan. Thakur made an impressive comeback, taking six wickets in two matches for LSG and providing crucial breakthroughs in the initial overs.
Despite being unsold initially, Shardul is now carrying the bowling attack on his shoulders. His spell against Sunrisers Hyderabad was commendable, as he dismissed key players like Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan, putting LSG in a strong position.
SRH batting woes
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) was expected to be one of the most destructive batting sides in the Indian Premier League this season. In their first match, they impressed everyone by scoring 286 runs against Rajasthan Royals. Cricket pundits and fans expected SRH to score 300 runs, but their attacking strategy backfiretd, especially against Lucknow Super Giants, where they lost wickets easily.
Apart from the first match, where a player scored 47 runs, most players performed poorly. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Klassen failed to deliver big performances, scoring only 32 and 26 respectively. The same happened against Delhi Capitals in Vizag, where the batters were bundled out for 163 runs. Uncapped Aniket Verma surprised everyone with 74 runs off 41 balls.
No trust in Thala, aka MS Dhoni?
Whenever Chennai Super Kings play, fans expect to see MS Dhoni in action. However, things haven’t gone as planned for CSK. MS Dhoni doesn’t seem to be batting more than 5 to 6 overs. When Chennai were losing against Royal Challengers Bangalore, many expected Dhoni to come in after Shivam Dube’s wicket, but Ravindra Jadeja and then Ravichandran Ashwin were sent in ahead of him. Dhoni eventually played an innings of 30 runs off 16 balls, but it was in a losing cause, as CSK lost by 50 runs.
The similar thing happened against Rajasthan Royals, where Dhoni came in late and scored 16 runs off 11 balls before being dismissed by Sandeep Sharma, and CSK lost by six runs. Fans and cricket experts expect Dhoni to take a more prominent role, but it seems CSK coach Stephen Fleming believes Dhoni isn’t fit to bat longer due to his knee issues, and he is primarily being kept for mentorship and his wicketkeeping skills.
Bad start for Mumbai again, fails to break Ahmedabad jinx
Mumbai Indians’ losing streaks continue in IPL 2025, as they’ve now lost their 13th consecutive campaign opener. Surprisingly, despite having won 5 championships, Mumbai Indians always appear as a formidable team but fail in their early matches. They have played two matches so far in IPL 2025, both of which were away games: the first against Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk Stadium and the second against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad.
Mumbai lost both matches and has failed to break its Ahmedabad jinx, as they have never won against Gujarat Titans at this venue. Mumbai Indians are experimenting with different team combinations as they search for a winning formula.
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