India, May 6 -- Chennai Super Kings picked up right where they left off last season, quite literally. Having finished with the wooden spoon in IPL 2025 for the first time in their history, CSK were left languishing at the bottom of the table after losing their first three games. A spate of injuries, including one to MS Dhoni, and bowling concerns were among the key issues that raised the bigger question: can CSK truly thrive without Dhoni?

Chennai's fate changed over the next 25 days. They won two on the trot at home, riding on Sanju Samson's return to form, which included a century, then completed a double over the Mumbai Indians and eventually beat the Delhi Capitals away from home on Tuesday. In their last seven games, Chennai have wo...