In IPL 2025, Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming reflected on their tough home defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad, highlighting a stunning catch that turned the game. CSK lost their fourth straight match at Chepauk, and Fleming praised debutant Dewald Brevis for his explosive knock of 42 runs off 25 balls. However, Brevis’s dismissal, thanks to a brilliant full-length diving catch by Kamindu Mendis, triggered a middle-order collapse. Fleming called it a “match-winning catch,” admitting that CSK struggled to recover after that moment. With batting issues persisting, CSK now faces an uphill battle to stay alive in the tournament.
Stephen Fleming on CSK’s Defeat After Mendis’ ‘Match-Winning’ Catch”
The Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) hopes for IPL 2025 took another major blow as they suffered their fourth consecutive defeat at home, losing to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by five wickets at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on April 25. With this loss, CSK’s chances of making it to the playoffs look increasingly slim, and frustration is clearly beginning to show within the camp.
Speaking after the match, CSK’s head coach Stephen Fleming opened up about the defeat and credited young Dewald Brevis for his outstanding effort with the bat. Making his debut for CSK, Brevis smashed 42 runs off just 25 balls, injecting much-needed energy into the innings. However, Brevis’ momentum was abruptly halted by a stunning, full-stretch diving catch by SRH’s Kamindu Mendis at long-off — a moment that Stephen Fleming described as a “match-winning catch.” He admitted that the dismissal shifted the momentum sharply in SRH’s favor, leading to the collapse of CSK’s already struggling middle order.
“I thought Brevis was outstanding. We were probably victim to a match-winning catch,” Stephen Fleming said at the post-match press conference, underlining just how significant that moment was in deciding the outcome.
CSK could only post 154 runs on the board, a total that proved insufficient on a surface that didn’t offer any extreme advantage to either batsmen or bowlers. Despite making several changes to their playing XI over the past few matches, CSK’s management continues to struggle with finding the right batting combination, especially in the crucial middle overs. This has been one of CSK’s worst seasons since their disappointing campaigns in 2020 and 2022.
Adding to the post-match insights, CSK’s legendary captain MS Dhoni also addressed the team’s issues, especially focusing on the need for middle-order stability. Dhoni praised Brevis for his aggression after a slow start and emphasized that the team needs more players willing to take charge during the middle overs, particularly against spin bowling. He highlighted how crucial it is for the middle order to step up and consistently score during those phases to put pressure on the opposition and maintain a competitive total.
Brevis batted really well, and we need something like that in the middle order,” Dhoni said. “When the spinners come in, that’s the time we need to either pick the right areas to score or attempt the big shot in the right zone. We have not been able to dominate the spinners or keep the scoreboard ticking fast enough, and that’s where we’ve been lacking.”
Both Stephen Fleming and Dhoni agreed that adapting quickly and showing intent against spin-heavy bowling attacks will be key if CSK wants to turn things around. However, with playoffs now looking like a distant dream, CSK will need a massive effort, both mentally and tactically, to salvage some pride in the remaining games of IPL 2025.
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