CSK's hopes of a playoff berth were completely dashed after Rajasthan Royals trounced defending champion Mumbai Indians by eight wickets in Match 45 of IPL 2020 played at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Sunday (October 25).
It will be for the very first time that the highly consistent CSK team won't make it to the playoffs in the IPL. The 3-time winners have always secured a play-off berth in their 10 year long participation in the Indian Premier League..
Rajasthan Royals bagged two more points courtesy their resounding win over Mumbai Indians and moved up the ladder to the sixth spot in the points table. Meanwhile CSK, who despite their clinical win over Royal Challengers Bangalore continue to languish at the bottom of the table with just six points from ten games.
CSK have had their worst possible season in the thirteenth edition of the IPL with just four wins from 12 round robin fixtures. With eight points in the kitty and just two more games remaining, CSK have no chance of getting into the knockouts.
Dhoni and his Co. could never gather momentum all through the season and had a spree of losses in the opening half of the tournament, which kept them reeling at the lower half of the points table.
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CSK's elimination from the prestigious tournament was certain by any means and came after the Dhoni-led side registered a face-saving win over Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in match No.44 of the IPL 2020.
Speaking after CSK's emphatic eight-wicket win over RCB, Dhoni had asserted that the Chennai side doesn't stand a chance to make it to the playoffs this season.
"You do quite a few things, show a bit more emotion (on the happier side) so that the guys feel a bit more confident and relaxed. If you don't do well, it does hurt and so you amplify a few emotions so that the guys don't leave the games. We don't really have a chance to make it to the playoffs, leave the mathematical part of it," Dhoni said at the post-match press conference.