Former England captain Michael Vaughan did not hold back in his criticism of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batting strategy during their pursuit of 197 runs against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2025 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. The team, led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, fell short by 50 runs in this highly anticipated match, allowing RCB to secure their second consecutive victory in the 18th season of the lucrative league.

CSK's chase was hindered early on when Josh Hazlewood took the wickets of Rahul Tripathi (5) and captain Ruturaj Gaikwad (0) in the second over. The home team struggled to recover from these setbacks, leading to a decisive win for RCB. Deepak Hooda, Sam Curran, and Shivam Dube were unable to make a significant impact with the bat, contributing to CSK's substantial defeat.

Vaughan expressed his belief that CSK lacked aggression in their batting, describing their approach as perplexing. He noted that Gaikwad and his teammates failed to unsettle the RCB bowlers.

"CSK appeared to be in contention when they began their innings. However, from the very first delivery, it was clear the chase was over. I don't believe there was a single moment during the chase when they looked like they had a chance. They displayed no intent or rhythm, and no one found their footing. To be frank, CSK did not make any effort to fight back," he stated in an interview with Cricbuzz.

"It is quite unusual for a Stephen Fleming-coached team to lack aggression in a chase. At no point did I feel that the game could become competitive. They never seemed to exhibit any desire to retaliate. They didn't take risks against the seamers or attempt anything unconventional. It felt as though they were merely waiting for mistakes from the bowlers," he added.

'Dhoni batting well enough'

The most significant topic of discussion following the match between CSK and RCB is MS Dhoni's appearance at the No. 9 batting position. Many fans and analysts have expressed their confusion regarding the decision to place the former Indian captain so far down the batting order.

During the match against RCB, players such as Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ravichandran Ashwin batted before Dhoni. Ultimately, the five-time IPL champion finished with an unbeaten score of 30 runs off 16 deliveries, which included two sixes against Krunal Pandya's bowling.

"MS Dhoni coming in at No. 9 and scoring 30 off 16 balls is noteworthy. He is the highest run-scorer in CSK's history. It's exciting for fans who wish to see him bat, but why not promote him in the order? If he is performing like that, he should bat higher," remarked Vaughan.

Following this defeat, CSK has fallen to seventh place in the IPL standings. The team is set to face the Rajasthan Royals next in Guwahati on Sunday.

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