Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni made an honest acknowledgment during the toss before the IPL 2025 match against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), stating that his team has struggled to interpret the wickets at the MA Chidambaram Stadium correctly. The 43-year-old mentioned that ever since the pitch was renovated in 2010, the franchise's performance in the premier T20 tournament has been different.

Dhoni also dispelled the misconception that CSK prefers to play on slower surfaces, explaining that his team seeks consistency in how the pitches behave in Chennai. Previously, following the loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), CSK head coach Stephen Fleming conceded that his team lacks a home advantage due to their inability to read Chennai's pitches.

Five-time champions CSK are facing challenges in IPL 2025. They find themselves at the bottom of the standings with merely 4 points from eight games.

"I've expressed this since 2010. Most people assume that when I say I'm unsure about the wicket here, we desire a slower track, and we keep repeating it. But that has indeed been true. Once the pitch was replaced after 2010, we came back to the Champions League, and it has not been the same. They’re doing their best, but we can never be certain about how the wicket will play," Dhoni stated during the toss.

"At times, batting first is quite beneficial. At other times, batting second can be favorable. The ground staff are doing their utmost, but it's an entirely different science. I believe the old red soil pitch was excellent. It suited the conditions away," he continued.

‘We haven’t performed well’

SRH captain Pat Cummins won the toss against Chennai Super Kings and chose to bowl first. Dhoni acknowledged that his team hasn’t performed well in the 18th season of the IPL, and there is significant scope for improvement.

"200 percent. Almost in all areas, whether it’s batting, bowling, or fielding. When you’re not playing good cricket, it’s likely that you also pass that pressure to the other players. So, it’s quite clear, but it's still crucial to enjoy the game, do what you want to do, express yourself, and forget about the outcome," said Dhoni.

"You need to focus on getting the process correct. It's vital for us to approach one game at a time because thinking about six games right now might be too ambitious. We’re searching for a few combinations, players who are getting an opportunity. Ensure that whatever you wish to accomplish on the field, just support it, have faith in your abilities and aim to execute what you desire," he added.

For the match against SunRisers Hyderabad, CSK made two alterations to their playing XI: they included Dewald Brevis and Deepak Hooda in place of Rachin Ravindra and Vijay Shankar.

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