Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will host Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at MA Chidambaram Stadium in match 25 of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). The match holds extreme importance as legendary cricketer MS Dhoni will be back as the captain of CSK after Ruturaj Gaikwad has been ruled out of the tournament, owing to an elbow fracture. Notably, Dhoni last captained a side in 2023, when he led CSK to IPL success against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad.
Meanwhile, Dhoni returning as captain might be a good thing for Chennai, who have won only one out of their five matches so far in the IPL 2025. However, on the flip side, Gaikwad missing out for the rest of the tournament is a massive blow to the team. In his absence, Deepak Hooda is likely to make his return to the playing XI, while CSK are yet to announce Gaikwad’s replacement.
KKR haven’t had a good start to their campaign as well, having won two out of their five matches. They have a strong batting unit but the positioning of certain players are questionable. At times Rinku Singh has been seen batting at seven, with Andre Russell at eight and that might not be the right approach. It is one area that the team management needs to address immediately to find better results. Meanwhile, Sunil Narine and Russell, two of their biggest match-winners in history, are yet to prove their value this season.
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai Pitch Report
The surface at the MA Chidambaram Stadium is likely to favour the spinners. Even though the surface has changed in recent times and CSK head coach Stephen Fleming has complained about the same, but it is still expected to slightly favour the spinners. KKR can bring in Moeen Ali instead of Spencer Johnson. Anything over 160 can be considered a good total on the surface.