CSK's Down Fall: 3 Players Whose Failure Led To The Humiliating Defeat Against RCB

Ruturaj Gaikwad [Source: iplt20.com]

In the 8th match of IPL 2025, Chennai Super Kings suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Royal Challengers Bengaluru. CSK failed to chase down RCB's target of 197, with three key players bearing significant responsibility for the loss. A data-driven analysis reveals exactly how these players underperformed at critical junctures.

1. Ruturaj Gaikwad

As CSK's captain and a dependable top order batter, Gaikwad's early dismissal for a duck created immediate pressure on the batting lineup. His inability to provide a solid foundation at the top of the order left CSK on the back foot from the outset of their chase. Especially with the early dismissal of Rahul Tripathi, the onus was on Ruturaj to get the team going towards the target.

2. Sam Curran

Sam Curran's performance with both bat and ball proved particularly costly for CSK in the match. 

Curran's Batting:

Coming in at a critical stage with CSK already three wickets down, Curran faced a required run rate above 11. The situation demanded aggressive batting, but his slow scoring rate of just 61.54 accelerated the required rate to unmanageable levels.

Curran's Bowling:

With the ball, Curran conceded 34 runs in his 3 overs at an economy rate of 11.33 without taking any wickets. His expensive bowling played a significant role in allowing RCB to post their imposing total of 196.

3. Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja [Source: @yxshh27/x.com]

Ravindra Jadeja, typically CSK's most reliable bowler, had a match to forget:

Jadeja's over-by-over analysis shows precisely when the damage occurred:

Particularly damaging were his 7th and 14th overs, which cost 15 runs each. These expensive overs came at crucial phases of RCB's innings - the 7th over immediately after the powerplay when control was needed, and the 14th over during a phase when containing runs is vital. His economy rate of 12.33 without taking any wickets significantly contributed to RCB's above-par total.

Conclusion

RCB's total of 196 proved too much for CSK, who started poorly with Gaikwad's early dismissal. By the time Curran came to the crease at 26/3 in the 5th over, the required run rate had already climbed to 11.03. His inability to accelerate, combined with the earlier bowling failures from both himself and Jadeja, made victory virtually impossible.

These three players - a captain who failed with the bat, an all-rounder who underperformed in both disciplines, and a veteran spinner who had an uncharacteristically expensive day - were ultimately the key factors in CSK's defeat against RCB in the IPL 2025 match.

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