‘Had no intent, no rhythm’: CSK’s batting approach lambasted, ‘team did not throw a punch vs RCB ‘ verdict passed

Former England captain Michael Vaughan minced no words as he lambasted Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batting approach during their chase of 197 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2025 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. The Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side fell 50 runs short in the much-anticipated contest as RCB registered their second consecutive win in the 18th edition of the cash-rich league.

CSK was pegged back in the chase in the second over as Josh Hazlewood dismissed Rahul Tripathi (5) and skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad (0). The hosts could not recover from these body blows as RCB registered a comprehensive win. Deepak Hooda, Sam Curran and Shivam Dube failed to leave any impression with the bat as CSK endured a heavy defeat.

Vaughan believes CSK did not show any intent with the bat, and the approach was hard to fathom. He also said Gaikwad and co did not try to throw RCB bowlers off the radar.

“CSK were very much in the chase when they walked out to bat. As soon as the ball was bowled, the chase was over. I don’t think there was a single ball in the chase when they were in with a chance. From the first ball, they had no intent, no rhythm. No one really got going. Let’s be honest, CSK did not throw a punch,” he told Cricbuzz.

“It is very unlike a Stephen Fleming side not to throw a punch in the chase. There was never a moment in the game where I thought this could get dangerous. They never looked like they had any kind of intent to really throw a punch or two back. They didn’t dance down to the seamers. They didn’t try to do anything different. It was just like they were waiting for bad balls to arrive,” he added.

‘Dhoni batting well enough’

The biggest talking point from the fixture between CSK and RCB is MS Dhoni coming out to bat at No.9. Several fans and experts have questioned the mindset behind sending the former India captain so low down the order.

In the fixture against RCB, Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin all batted ahead of Dhoni. In the end, the five-time IPL-winning captain remained unbeaten on 30 off 16 balls, including two sixes off the bowling of Krunal Pandya.

“MS Dhoni coming at No.9, ending up with 30 off 16 balls. The highest runs-scorer for CSK in the history. Great for the fans because they want to see him bat. But why not further up the order? Bat a bit higher if you are batting like that. He is batting well enough,” said Vaughan.

With this loss, CSK has dropped to seventh place in the IPL standings. The franchise will next face Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati on Sunday.