A remarkable debut IPL century by Priyansh Arya led to Chennai Super Kings suffering their fourth consecutive defeat in IPL 2025. Facing intense pressure during run chases, CSK succeeded in surpassing the 200-run threshold; however, it proved insufficient. Arya’s impressive 39-ball century, achieved in only his fourth match, along with a lackluster performance in the field, ultimately cost the visitors dearly.
Priyansh Arya scores his debut hundred against CSK
For only the fourth time in IPL history, a match commenced with a six, as Priyansh Arya executed an uppercut off Khaleel Ahmed’s very first delivery, sending the ball over the boundary. This set the tone for an exciting PowerPlay, characterized by both wickets and runs. Ultimately, the home team emerged from this phase in a strong position, despite losing three batsmen early on. Prabhsimran Singh was bowled after inside-edging a delivery onto his stumps, while Khaleel Ahmed dismissed both Shreyas Iyer and Marcus Stoinis. Meanwhile, Arya showcased his aggressive batting style, taking on every bowler he faced. He greeted veteran R Ashwin with a boundary and scored 21 runs off his over, culminating in a remarkable fifty off just 19 balls.
Despite the challenging start, Ashwin made a significant comeback, claiming two vital wickets in a single over that shifted the momentum. Nehal Wadhera was caught by Dhoni after skying a delivery, and shortly after, Glenn Maxwell was dismissed for just one run, hitting a return catch to Ashwin. At that moment, PBKS’s prospects seemed grim, with half the team back in the pavilion for a mere 83 runs. However, they quickly regrouped and maintained an aggressive approach, which paid dividends as Arya and Shashank Singh launched a barrage of sixes. Ashwin’s final over yielded 20 runs, and Matheesha Pathirana faced a similar fate, conceding three consecutive sixes as Arya reached a spectacular century. During this explosive phase, PBKS scored 43 runs off just 12 balls, regaining control of the match. Arya, who had a stroke of luck on his way to the century, was eventually dismissed when he hit Noor Ahmad’s delivery straight to long on.
In the closing stages, Shashank and Marco Jansen effectively managed the innings for the away side. Ruturaj Gaikwad’s decision to withhold Noor from bowling his fourth over proved to be a costly mistake. With Pathirana also having an off day, CSK allowed several boundaries in the final overs, while Shashank reached his fifty.
CSK fail to implement an easy run chase
Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra successfully addressed CSK’s early season struggles with a productive partnership during the PowerPlay. They initiated the run chase by each hitting a boundary in the first over and repeated this in the subsequent over bowled by Arshdeep Singh. Rachin then targeted Yash Thakur, scoring three consecutive boundaries to provide CSK with vital momentum. Together, they amassed over 50 runs for the opening wicket, establishing a solid foundation.
However, just as CSK appeared poised to build on their promising start, the situation quickly deteriorated when Rachin was stumped off Maxwell’s delivery in the first over following the PowerPlay. Compounding the issue, Gaikwad once again failed to make a significant contribution in a crucial chase, placing CSK under considerable pressure. Shivam Dube, already facing criticism for his performance in the tournament, had a significant task ahead alongside Conway. Dube began his innings positively, hitting a flat six off Lockie Ferguson. Conway, who had been granted a couple of chances, struck a crucial six off Stoinis to alleviate some pressure before a strong over from Jansen brought CSK back into contention as they approached the final overs.
PBKS required just two effective overs to shift the momentum entirely in their favor, which they achieved through their seasoned bowlers, Arshdeep and Ferguson. After a tight over from the left-arm pacer, Ferguson delivered an impressive knuckleball that dismissed Dube, leaving CSK with a daunting target of 68 runs from 24 balls. Yuzvendra Chahal was finally introduced into the attack for his first over and also made an impact, bringing his team closer to victory. MS Dhoni kept CSK’s slim hopes alive with a couple of sixes off Ferguson, followed by a four and another six off Arshdeep, reducing the target to 28 runs from 6 balls. Yash Thakur, assigned to bowl the final over, secured the crucial wicket of Dhoni with a full toss down the leg side, which the veteran hit directly to short fine-leg. At that moment, CSK needed a player to replicate Rinku Singh’s heroics, but that did not materialize.
SCORECARD: 219/6 in 20 overs (Priyansh Arya 103, Shashank Singh 52*; Khaleel Ahmed 2/45) beat Chennai Super Kings 201/5 in 20 overs (Devon Conway 69, Shivam Dube 42; Lockie Ferguson 2/40) by 18 runs
