With just 4 points in 8 games, Chennai Super Kings face a near-impossible road to the playoffs—but the door isn’t entirely closed yet.
April 21, 2025: After a humiliating 9-wicket defeat at the hands of Mumbai Indians, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) find themselves in unfamiliar territory—bottom of the IPL 2025 points table. With just 4 points from 8 matches, CSK’s playoff hopes are hanging by a thread.
But is all hope lost? Not yet.
Also Read: “Try to Qualify, but If Not…”: Dhoni Outlines CSK’s Next Steps After Crushing Loss to MI
📊 CSK’s Current Standing
- Played: 8
- Won: 2
- Lost: 6
- Points: 4
- Net Run Rate (NRR): Poor (will need improvement)
🧮 What CSK Needs to Do to Qualify
To stay in contention for a playoff berth, CSK must win all of their remaining 6 matches, taking their points tally to 16, which can still be enough for a spot in the Top 4—provided other results go their way.
Here’s the roadmap:
✅ CSK’s Qualification Scenario
- Win Remaining 6 Matches
- Final points tally: 16
- History shows that 16 points can secure 3rd or 4th place, depending on Net Run Rate (NRR).
- Improve Net Run Rate (NRR)
- CSK will likely be tied with 2–3 other teams if they hit 16 points. A strong NRR will be crucial in such a scenario.
- Hope for These Results Elsewhere
- Teams like KKR, GT, and RR need to lose 3–4 of their remaining matches.
- Mid-table teams (MI, LSG, PBKS) should keep beating each other to prevent anyone from hitting 18+ points easily.
- RCB continues underperforming, ideally not crossing the 10–12 point mark.
Also Read: Virat Kohli Creates IPL History: Surpasses Warner for Most Fifty-Plus Scores in League
🔥 Key Players Must Fire
For CSK to pull off a miracle:
- Ruturaj Gaikwad, Dube, and Jadeja must deliver consistently.
- MS Dhoni’s experience and tactical sharpness will be key in crunch moments.
- Bowling unit must step up big time—particularly in the powerplay and death overs.
🚨 Remaining CSK Fixtures
If you’re a CSK fan, mark your calendar and pray for six straight wins:
- vs PBKS
- vs KKR
- vs SRH
- vs DC
- vs RCB
- vs RR
🧠 Verdict
Mathematically, CSK are still alive in IPL 2025. Realistically, their margin for error is zero. Every game from here is a virtual knockout, and even then, qualification depends heavily on other teams slipping up.
If there’s any team that can script a late-season comeback drama, it’s MS Dhoni’s CSK—but they’ll need their best cricket of the season, and a bit of IPL magic.
Tags: CSK Playoff Qualification, IPL 2025, Chennai Super Kings, Dhoni IPL 2025, MI vs CSK, IPL Points Table 2025, IPL Scenarios