“Rehearsal for a Test Match”: Kris Srikkanth Slams CSK’s Powerplay Struggles in IPL 2025

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) had a rough outing on April 11, posting their lowest total ever at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk. The team suffered a massive batting collapse and just about scraped past the 100-run mark. After the defeat, former India opener Kris Srikkanth didn’t hold back criticizing the top-order for the way they started the innings. Both Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway looked out of sorts before gifting their wickets away. CSK were struggling at 18 for 2 after the first five overs. Srikkanth even joked it looked more like a Test match rehearsal than a T20 game.

He also suggested CSK look at some of the unsold players to fix their powerplay issues and even dropped Prithvi Shaw’s name as a possible option.

“One of CSK's worst defeats ever. Powerplay batting looked like a rehearsal for a test match. Whole XI feels like it's running on nostalgia. Time to think out of the box, why not try some unsold players like Prithvi Shaw at this point? Would you try it? even chaos is a strategy?” Srikkanth wrote on X.

From Unsold to Untapped: Options for CSK’s Powerplay Rescue

Srikkanth’s suggestion Prithvi Shaw was actually one of the more surprising names to go unsold in the mega auction. He had a base price of ₹75 lakh but didn’t find any takers. The 25-year-old hasn’t been completely off the radar though he was recently seen in action at the DY Patil T20 tournament, which featured quite a few IPL regulars.

Shaw has been a regular in the IPL, turning out for Delhi Capitals (DC) for seven seasons. In 79 innings, he’s scored 1,892 runs at an average of 23.94, including 14 half-centuries. Known for his explosive starts in the powerplay, he boasts an impressive IPL strike rate of 147.46. His best season came in 2021, when he scored up 479 runs in 15 innings at an average of 31.93 with four fifties.

Interestingly, there were reports that 17-year-old Mumbai opener Ayush Mhatre had been invited for mid-season trials. Though he hasn’t made his T20 debut in domestic cricket yet, he’s made a solid impression in List A matches averaging over 65 with 458 runs in seven innings including two centuries and a fifty.

Meanwhile, CSK do have a couple of promising uncapped players already in their squad. Youngsters like Vansh Bedi and Andre Siddharth are still waiting for their opportunity to make a mark and debut in the tournament.