The iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai is set for a high-stakes showdown tonight as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in match 25 of the IPL 2025.
Match Preview:
For CSK, it’s a must-win. Four losses in their first five matches have them on the back foot, and the absence of Ruturaj Gaikwad hasn’t helped. It’s only the third time in their IPL history they’ve suffered four defeats in a row—something that hasn’t sat well with the Chepauk faithful, who’ve seen this kind of dip only in 2010 and 2022.
Their batting did show signs of life recently, putting up over 200 runs, but chasing totals remains a concern. The New Zealand duo of Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway has looked solid up top, but the middle order has been a letdown. CSK’s batters from positions 4 to 7 have the lowest strike rate in the league (126.04)—a clear red flag.
Fielding hasn’t been much better. CSK have dropped more catches than any other team this season, and it’s cost them. Their catching efficiency is just 67.6%, compared to KKR’s 87.5%, which ranks second-best in the tournament. Another loss tonight would also mark a first for CSK: three consecutive defeats at home.
Even the spin department—usually a strength at Chepauk—hasn’t clicked yet. But with MS Dhoni back at the helm, there’s hope he can bring some much-needed control and spark. Ironically, the slow Chennai pitch might end up suiting KKR more, thanks to their lethal spin combo of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy.
KKR, for their part, have also had a stop-start season. Despite putting up back-to-back 200+ scores, they’ve lost three out of five games. Their batting looks more in sync than CSK’s right now, but they’re still looking for consistency.
Both teams find themselves in unfamiliar territory—low on the points table and still figuring out their best combinations. Complaints about their respective home pitches only add to the unpredictability of this clash.
There’s added spice too: Ajinkya Rahane, who reinvented himself as a T20 batter with CSK, now leads KKR against his former side. And Dwayne Bravo, a fan favorite in Chennai and once their star bowler and coach, will now be plotting against them as KKR’s mentor.
Probable Playing XIIs:
Chennai Super Kings (probable): 1 Devon Conway, 2 Rahul Tripathi, 3 Rachin Ravindra, 4 Shivam Dube, 5 Vijay Shankar, 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 MS Dhoni (capt, wk), 8 R Ashwin, 9 Noor Ahmad, 10 Mukesh Choudhary, 11 Khaleel Ahmed, 12 Matheesha Pathirana
Kolkata Knight Riders (probable): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Sunil Narine, 3 Ajinkya Rahane (capt), 4 Venkatesh Iyer, 5 Angkrish Raghuvanshi, 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Ramandeep Singh, 9 Moeen Ali/Spencer Johnson, 10 Harshit Rana, 11 Vaibhav Arora, 12 Varun Chakravarthy
Pitch and weather report:
According to CSK coach Stephen Fleming, they haven’t been able to solve the Chepauk surface in recent years, thus it remains a mystery. Clear weather is anticipated.
Head-to-head record:
In the past, CSK has won 19 games against KKR’s 10 in head-to-head meetings, giving them a significant advantage. Additionally, CSK has dominated recent encounters, winning five of the previous seven.
Prediction:
KKR is favourite to win the upcoming enocunter.
Where to Watch:
India: Star Sports Network, JioHotstar
Australia: Kayo TV, FoxTel Go
Bangladesh: T Sports, Toffee app
New Zealand: Sky Sports NZ
South Africa: SuperSport
Sri Lanka: Dialog
UK: Sky Sports, SkyGo
USA: Willow TV
Afghanistan: ATN
MENA: Cricbuzz
