On Saturday, during the CSK vs DC clash, hosts Chennai Super Kings achieved their highest opening partnership in IPL 2025 — 14 runs between Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway. Prior to this, in match vs MI — they lost their first wicket for 11, followed by 8 vs RCB, and 0 vs RR. That just highlights the batting crisis the team has been going through this season, where scoring runs has been difficult, and none of their batters are really in the race for the Orange Cap.
Openers Failing CSK in IPL 2025
Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad is their highest run-getter this season with 121 runs in four matches, at an average of 30, and two fifties to his name. Then comes opener Rachin Ravindra, who in four matches scored 109, including one fifty in the opening encounter. Rahul Tripathi, another opener who was dropped from the playing XI for DC clash, has 30 runs in 3 matches.
Mukesh Strikes
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) April 5, 2025
Mukesh Kumar uses the bounce to perfection and dismisses #RachinRavindra with a sharp return catch!
Just the kind of start #DC needed!
Watch LIVEhttps://t.co/4Kn2OwL1UW#IPLonJioStar
#CSKvDC, LIVE NOW on Star Sports 2, Star Sports 2 Hindi & JioHotstar! pic.twitter.com/AB8jKrvwqZ
Devon Conway, on the other hand, is playing his first match in a long, long time for CSK. In 2023, when CSK had last reached the IPL final, one of the biggest reasons for their success was their opening combination. Ruturaj and Conway remained their only openers throughout the season, unlike this year where it had been tweaked a few times, and that reaped rich dividends.
Ruturaj Gaikwad & Devon Conway Uber Successful in 2023
Together, they added 14, 110, 0. 10, 16, 87, 73, 42, 86, 46, 32, 31 and 141 for the opening wicket in league stages. Then come the qualifier — Gaikwad-Ruturaj had a partnership of 87 in the qualifier, and 74 in the final. That clearly shows the impact a sound opening partnership can have on the team.
Even though it is still early days in the competition for CSK, but then the way things are going for them.. they need to get their opening woes sorted, to progress in IPL 2025, to put it simply.
