Introduction: As the curtains draw on the regular season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, one of the league’s most celebrated franchises, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), finds itself in uncharted territory. With just one game left to play, the Men in Yellow are staring at the ignominy of finishing at the bottom of the IPL points table—a position they’ve miraculously avoided throughout their storied history.
The Fall of a Giant: CSK’s campaign this year has been nothing short of a nightmare. Plagued by early setbacks, the team failed to recover from a string of losses that pushed them into a deep hole. The season took a significant hit with the injury to their regular captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad, forcing the iconic MS Dhoni to step back into the leadership role. However, even Dhoni’s tactical genius couldn’t salvage the sinking ship. A combination of inconsistent batting, lackluster bowling, and an inability to close out tight games saw CSK slump to just 3 wins and a meager 6 points so far. Their latest defeat against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday epitomized their struggles—setting a competitive target of 187, only to watch RR chase it down with 17 balls to spare.
The Wooden Spoon Looms: With CSK languishing at the bottom of the table among the 10 teams in this 18th edition of the IPL, their final game against Gujarat Titans (GT) offers little hope of redemption. Even a victory would only bring them level with RR on points, but their dismal net run rate of -1.030 makes escaping the last spot highly unlikely. For a team synonymous with success, the prospect of finishing with the wooden spoon is a bitter pill to swallow.
A Glorious Past: So, how many times have CSK finished at the bottom of the IPL points table in their history? The answer is a resounding never. In fact, CSK’s consistency over the years is the stuff of legend. Their lowest finishes came in 2022 (9th place) among 10 teams and in 2020 (7th place) among 8 teams. On the flip side, they have clinched the IPL title 5 times, secured 6 runner-up finishes, and topped the league standings twice—in 2013 and 2015. With a staggering playoff appearance record in 12 out of 15 seasons they’ve competed in (excluding their two-year suspension in 2016-17), CSK have been the benchmark of excellence in the IPL.
Conclusion: As the IPL 2025 season nears its climax, all eyes are on CSK’s final match. Will they manage to avoid the unwanted tag of finishing last, or will this year mark an unprecedented low for the franchise? Whatever the outcome, this campaign will serve as a stark reminder that even the mightiest can fall. For now, the Chennai Super Kings and their legion of fans can only hope for a dignified end to a forgettable chapter in their otherwise glittering legacy.