Ruturaj Gaikwad-led Chennai Super Kings kicked off their TATA IPL 2025 campaign in style, securing a commanding four-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. The foundation was laid by the brilliance of Player of the Match Noor Ahmad, whose sensational spell of 4/18 stifled MI to 155/9. The chase was then anchored by skipper Gaikwad’s fluent 52 off 26 and Rachin Ravindra’s composed, unbeaten 65 off 45, ensuring a winning start for the five-time champions.
Chasing 156, CSK suffered an early jolt as Deepak Chahar struck in the very first over, dismissing IPL debutant Rahul Tripathi. However, Gaikwad and Ravindra took charge, capitalizing on the powerplay. The CSK skipper played with elegance and authority, rotating the strike effectively while piercing the gaps with finesse. By the end of the powerplay, Chennai had raced to 62/1, with Gaikwad blazing his way to 42 off just 19 balls.
Gaikwad then brought up his fastest IPL fifty off just 22 deliveries, playing a delightful inside-out drive over extra cover off Will Jacks. However, his classy knock was cut short at 53 off 26 by young Vignesh Puthur, who made an instant impact on his IPL debut.
What followed was a tense middle phase as Puthur (3/32) ran riot, dismissing Shivam Dube and Deepak Hooda in quick succession, sparking an MI fightback. With CSK needing 31 off 24, the game hung in the balance.
