MS Dhoni hails Sam Curran as fighter, confirms Dewald Brevis' retention for IPL 2026

MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings (CSK) locked horns with Shreyas Iyer's Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the 49th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on Wednesday, April 30.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) lost the IPL 2025 match against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) by 4 wickets at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Also Read: Watch: Ravindra Jadeja catches MS Dhoni’s one-handed six near dugout, pulls off mock celebration

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I feel we need to take our catches - MS Dhoni

Being invited to bat first in the match, Chennai Super Kings posted 190 runs on the board before being bowled out. Sam Curran emerged as the top performer in the innings as he slammed 88 runs.

Defending the total, Chennai Super Kings bowlers took the game very deep till the last over but the run-chase was completed in 19.4 overs. Khaleel Ahmed and Matheesha Pathirana picked up two wickets each while Ravindra Jadeja and Noor Ahmad got one wicket each.

Speaking after the match, MS Dhoni said that they were a few runs short. He said:

"I think the batting - yes, it was the first time we put enough runs on the board. But was it a par score? I feel slightly short. Yes, a bit demanding from the batters but I feel we could've got slightly more. I feel we need to take our catches."

Well, he's a fighter - MS Dhoni on Sam Curran

MS Dhoni further praised Sam Curran and Dewald Brevis for the partnership that they built in the match and called the England all-rounder a fighter. He said:

"The partnership between Brevis and Sam was excellent. We didn't play the last four deliveries, and the second last over four batters got out. In close games, those 7 deliveries mean a lot.

"Well he's a fighter (Curran). That's something we all know. Whenever he turns up he wants to contribute. Unfortunately so far, whenever we tried to give him a chance, the wicket was on the slower side and he found it slightly difficult. But today's wicket was one of the best we've got at home in this tournament. That's the reason I felt we needed another 15 runs."

In the end, MS Dhoni stated that Dewald Brevis offers momentum and hinted that he might be retained for IPL 2026. MS Dhoni stated:

"It's the momentum in the middle order (Brevis offers). He's also a very good fielder, he has power and he can hit good balls for boundaries. And he brings good energy. Happy with the way he's playing. He can be an asset going ahead."

How did CSK perform in the previous IPL match against PBKS?

Chennai Super Kings suffered a loss to Punjab Kings by 18 runs in Match 22 in Mullanpur on April 8. Chasing a target of 220, CSK managed 201/5 in their 20 overs.

Put in to bowl first, CSK failed to grab key chances in the field and dropped as many as five catches. The bowlers were decimated by opener Priyansh Arya, who played a breathtaking knock of 103 off just 42 deliveries.

Khaleel Ahmed and Ravichandran Ashwin picked two wickets each while Mukesh Choudhary and Noor Ahmad got one wicket each, but PBKS were allowed to post a colossal total on the board, riding on good batting performances from Arya, Shashank Singh, and Marco Jansen.

Chasing the target, CSK got off to a flying start, with Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway adding 61 for the opening wicket. However, a mini-collapse followed, and from there, things went south for CSK. Conway continued to bat but retired out on 69, while Shivam Dube’s 42 off 27 and MS Dhoni’s 27 off 12 sparked brief hope, but the required run rate was too high and they were restricted to 201/5.