'For 5 years, CSK haven't chased...': Sehwag drops truth bomb after Ruturaj Gaikwad suffers second consecutive loss
Virender Sehwag stated facts after Chennai Super Kings came up short against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati.
Former India batter Virender Sehwag questioned Chennai Super Kings' ability to chase totals of more than 180 as the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side came up short against Rajasthan Royals in Match No.11 of the IPL 2025 edition in Guwahati. CSK suffered their second successive loss in the 18th edition of the cash-rich league after failing to chase down 183.
Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad tried his best as he scored 63 runs off 44 balls, but in the end, the task proved to be a mountain to climb, even for MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja.
In the final two overs, CSK needed 39 runs. In the penultimate over, MS Dhoni and Jadeja smashed 19 runs off Tushar Deshpande's bowling. Dhoni and Jadeja smashed one six each, rekindling hopes of a memorable victory.
However, Sandeep Sharma bowled a pitch-perfect final over against Dhoni and Jadeja, ensuring a six-run win for the Royals. The 43-year-old Dhoni held out in the deep in the final over, almost killing the game. With 17 needed off the final three balls, Jamie Overton hit a six; however, he failed to connect on the last two deliveries of the game.
Sehwag also put Dhoni's finishing ability under the scanner, saying no recent matches come to memory when you talk about the wicketkeeper-batter taking the team over the line.
"Scoring 40 runs in 20 overs is a difficult task. No matter how big of a player is in the middle, it is a difficult job. You win on one or two occasions, that is about it. I remember Dhoni pulled off a heist when he hit 24 or 25 runs off the bowling of Axar Patel, and on one instance, he smashed Irfan Pathan for 19 or 20 runs in Dharamsala," Sehwag told Cricbuzz.
"You can just remember one or two matches on top of your mind. No recent matches come to your memory. For five years, CSK have been unable to chase totals of more than 180," he added.
Dhoni walks out at No.7
Against Rajasthan Royals, MS Dhoni walked out to bat at No.7. The right-hander scored 16 runs off 11 balls, including one four and one six. However, the seasoned pro struggled against Maheesh Theekshana, and it was the 18th over that took the game away from CSK's grasp.
Earlier, Dhoni had walked out in the middle at No.9 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), leading to criticism from all corners. However, the franchise made some course corrections against RR.
With the loss against RR, CSK dropped to the seventh spot in the points table. The franchise will next square off against Delhi Capitals at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday, April 5.
