Chennai Super Kings’ campaign in IPL 2025 is teetering on the edge of collapse after a demoralizing nine-wicket defeat to Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. The loss—CSK’s sixth in eight matches—firmly places the five-time champions at the bottom of the points table with just four points and a concerning Net Run Rate (NRR) of -1.392. With the playoff race intensifying, CSK’s path to qualification has now become incredibly narrow and demanding.
To stay in contention for the top four, CSK must win all six of their remaining league matches, a task easier said than done. A clean sweep would lift them to 16 points, which is traditionally considered the minimum safe threshold for playoff qualification. However, even that might not guarantee a spot if their NRR doesn’t improve substantially, given the crowded mid-table and rising competition.
In a slightly more lenient scenario, CSK could still qualify with five wins from six, reaching 14 points. But this would require multiple other teams to lose games and a significant improvement in their NRR. Historically, only one team—Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2024—has made it to the playoffs with 14 points since the league expanded to 10 teams in 2022. Therefore, CSK can afford no more than one loss if they hope to stay alive in the playoff hunt.
The franchise began the season on a positive note with a win over MI at Chepauk but then went on to lose five matches in a row—marking a historic low for the team. A brief resurgence against Lucknow Super Giants brought hope, but it was quickly extinguished by Sunday’s thrashing. Unless there’s a dramatic turnaround, this could be the first time CSK fails to make the playoffs for two consecutive seasons.
Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians have turned their own season around with a third straight win under Hardik Pandya’s leadership. After a sluggish start with just one win in their first five matches, MI have now beaten DC, SRH, and CSK in the span of a week, climbing to sixth in the standings and keeping their playoff hopes very much alive.
As the season heads into its final phase, CSK’s margin for error is gone. Every match ahead is a must-win, and their playoff future no longer lies entirely in their own hands.
Discover more from Weekly Voice
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
