'Rest Of The Team Just Needs To Set Him Up': Ex-CSK Player Highlights MS Dhoni's New Role For Chennai In IPL 2025

IPL 2025: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will lock horns against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the 22nd match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, on Tuesday, April 8th. The game will kick off at 7:30 PM IST.

The Chennai-based franchise have displayed a poor performance in the ongoing edition of the cash-rich tournament so far. CSK have conceded three consecutive defeats in their past four fixtures of the tournament. As of now, CSK have won their first game of the IPL 2025 against the Mumbai Indians.

Presently, the Super Kings are holding the ninth place on the IPL 2025 standings with just two points and have a net run rate of -0.891.

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'You Can Never Write Off CSK': Shane Watson 

While speaking on JioStar, former Australia and Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Shane Watson said that one can never write off the Super Kings since the franchise knows how to win. Watson added that CSK's revival will come in the tournament once their top-order comes back in form.

“You can never write off CSK—they know how to win. Whether it’s Stephen Fleming, MS Dhoni, or the entire franchise, they always find a way to turn things around. I believe their revival will start with the top order performing well, easing pressure on the middle and lower order,” Watson said on JioStar.

The former cricketer also highlighted star uncapped player MS Dhoni's new role is to close out innings for the Super Kings. Watson further added that the rest of the players in the squad need to set Dhoni up.

"The move to open with two overseas players and Ruturaj at No. 3 adds much-needed stability. MSD still keeps brilliantly and can finish games when the top order does its job. His role now is to close out innings in the final overs—and he’s doing that exceptionally well. The rest of the team just needs to set him up for that," he added.

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MS Dhoni Amassed 76 Runs In IPL 2025 So Far

MS Dhoni has scored 76 runs in IPL 2025 so far in four matches at a strike rate of 138.18. The 43-year-old has accumulated 5319 runs in his 268 IPL matches at a strike rate of 137.55. He has also slammed 24 half-centuries in the cash-rich tournament.