Deja vu for Dhoni as CSK search for spark in struggling campaign
MS Dhoni’s return to the helm has evoked a strong sense of déjà vu — but not the kind CSK fans were hoping for. The five-time champions are back in murky waters, reminiscent of their forgettable 2020 season when Dhoni compared his team to a “ship full of holes.” The resemblance is eerily close this year — and perhaps even more concerning, given that CSK had one extra win at this point in that dismal campaign, reports Live Cricket Score.
Head coach Stephen Fleming echoed the growing fears of the Yellow Army — there’s no ‘magic wand’ for Dhoni to turn things around overnight. The Super Kings are bogged down in a batting crisis that needs immediate fixing. Their latest outing — a bruising loss at Chepauk — only worsened their plight. In a glaring stat, CSK played 61 dot balls — the same number Kolkata Knight Riders needed to knock off their target. Whether with or without Ruturaj Gaikwad, CSK’s batting has lacked bite, leaving them second-best in their five losses. Fleming hopes that the soul-searching done post that home defeat will help trigger a much-needed reset.
On the other hand, Lucknow Super Giants are heading into their fourth home fixture free of such troubles. With three wins out of four at the Ekana Stadium, LSG have found comfort on home turf. Their six-hitting juggernaut continues to roll, and although Rishabh Pant hasn’t fired consistently, the top-order trio of Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, and Nicholas Pooran have provided solid insurance. While their bowling had a few shaky moments early in the tournament, it’s beginning to look more settled.
Their latest win — a strong performance against Gujarat Titans — catapulted LSG into the top four. With momentum and home advantage on their side, they now have a golden chance to climb even higher by capitalizing on an out-of-form opponent. For CSK, though, it’s not about the table anymore. It’s about survival — one match, one point at a time.
Match Info:
When: LSG vs CSK, April 14, 2025, 07:30 PM IST
Where: Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow
What to Expect: Balanced square dimensions. After mixing red and black soil pitches in earlier games, this one (Pitch No. 5) will be played on a mixed soil surface.
Weather: A gusty windstorm briefly interrupted CSK’s Sunday training session, but the skies cleared up, and rain is not forecast for match day.
Head-to-head:
LSG 3 – 1 CSK
One match ended with no result. All four completed encounters have been high-scoring thrillers.
Team Watch:
Lucknow Super Giants
Injury/Availability: Mitchell Marsh missed the last game due to his daughter’s illness. LSG opted out of training on Sunday, but Marsh is expected to be back in the XI.
Tactics & Matchups: With standard boundary dimensions, LSG pacers are expected to go short at Rachin Ravindra — a length that has troubled the CSK left-hander, who has fallen six times to short balls across IPL 2024 and 2025, scoring just 97 off 74 deliveries.
Probable XII:
Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (c), Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Abdul Samad, Shardul Thakur, Akash Deep, Digvesh Rathi, Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi
Chennai Super Kings
Injury/Availability: No injury concerns around Shivam Dube, who suffered cramps in the previous game but trained without discomfort on Sunday.
Tactics & Matchups: CSK was forced to bench Matheesha Pathirana in the last game to strengthen their batting after a top-order collapse. But his return will be key in Lucknow, especially given his record against Pooran: 4 dismissals in 25 balls, conceding just 25 runs.
R Ashwin remains an option to challenge Pooran, despite the West Indian’s red-hot form against spin this season. Ashwin has a decent record — 3 dismissals in 43 balls for just 40 runs.
Probable XII:
Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi, Shivam Dube, Vijay Shankar, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (c), R Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana
Did You Know?
Nicholas Pooran has struck at a jaw-dropping 272.46 vs spin and 173.11 vs pace in IPL 2025.
CSK have dropped 13 catches and missed 9 run-outs this season. LSG have dropped 9 but missed 14 run-outs.
CSK and LSG own the worst PowerPlay economy rates this season — 10.58 for CSK and 10.72 for LSG
The stage is set in Lucknow. For LSG, it’s a shot at dominance. For CSK, it’s about finding a spark before the lights go out on their season.
