IPL 2025: Dhoni, Dube lead the charge as CSK crush LSG by 5 wickets
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Lucknow: MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings silenced their critics with a five-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants in their IPL 2025 match here on Monday. The win brought much-needed relief for CSK, who had lost their previous five matches in a row.
Shivam Dube and skipper MS Dhoni were instrumental in Chennai's away victory, steering the team to a thrilling win in the final over. Dube remained unbeaten on 43, while Dhoni supported him with a well-made 26.
Chasing a modest target of 167, Chennai got off to a great start with Rachin Ravindra and Shaik Rasheed adding 52 runs in five overs. Avesh Khan broke the stand by dismissing Rasheed for 27, and two overs later, Rachin Ravindra was sent back by Aiden Markram.
Rahul Tripathi, Ravindra Jadeja and Vijay Shankar failed to contribute much to the chase.
Meanwhile, Dube, who came in as an impact substitute, anchored the innings and steadily moved the score forward. Dhoni, arriving in the 15th over, was in no mood to hold back, taking on the bowlers from one end.
Chennai needed just 4 runs in the final over. Dube played a single off the first ball, giving Dhoni the strike. Fans hoped for a boundary from the famed finisher, but Dhoni returned the favour, handing Dube the strike once again. Dube sealed the win with a boundary, cutting the ball to the offside.
Earlier, Rishabh Pant's back-to-form 63 in 49 balls was not enough as Lucknow Super Giants ended their innings for 166 for 7 against Chennai Super Kings.
CSK bowlers kept a tight leash over the proceedings and allowed only Pant and Mitchell Marsh to score 30 or more. LSG's batting powerhouse, Aiden Markram, and in-form Nicholas Pooran did not go beyond single digits, leaving Pant to do the rescue act. But that was not enough to post a fighting total.
Apart from the two over 50-run partnerships that Pant stitched together (the first with Marsh and a 53-run partnership with Abdul Samad), there are not many to show for.
LSG left 54 dot balls, i.e. 9 overs in a 20-over-a-side contest, in their innings while they struggled to keep the scoreboard moving. Till the 17th over, Pant had scored only 40 in 39 balls before he got stuck into Pathirana, hitting two sixes and scoring 18 runs in the over.