Chennai Super Kings’ fortress has well and truly crumbled. The five-time champion was officially knocked out of the IPL 2025 playoffs race after a four-wicket defeat to Punjab Kings at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on Wednesday.

With just two wins in 10 matches, Chennai became the first team to be eliminated from the playoffs race. That this latest blow came at Chepauk, once considered its impregnable home ground, added salt to the wound. The defeat marked the fifth loss at home this season — an unthinkable scenario for a team that once ruled here.

The slide has been steep and steady. In 2020, CSK missed the playoffs for the first time, finishing second-last. Two years later, it finished ninth. This year, it has fallen off the cliff once again.

It’s also a damning outcome for M.S. Dhoni, who had returned as captain of CSK for the remainder of IPL 2025 after Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out of the season with an elbow injury sustained against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati on March 30.

Dhoni, 43, had handed over the captaincy to Gaikwad ahead of the 2024 season, a year after stepping aside following a long stint as CSK’s leader from 2008 to 2023. He had previously passed the baton to Ravindra Jadeja in 2022, only to reclaim the role midway through the season due to poor results.

Under Dhoni’s leadership, CSK has won five IPL titles — in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023 — along with two Champions League trophies.