A match-winning knock from Rachin Ravindra (65 off 47)* and a brilliant bowling spell from debutant Noor Ahmad (4/18) guided Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to a four-wicket win against Mumbai Indians (MI) at Chepauk on Sunday in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.
CSK’s Chase: Rachin, Gaikwad Lay the Foundation
Chasing 156, CSK suffered an early blow as Rahul Tripathi (2) fell to Deepak Chahar in the second over. However, Ruturaj Gaikwad came in with an attacking mindset, smashing a quickfire 53, his fastest fifty in IPL history.
Gaikwad and Rachin stitched together a 67-run stand, keeping MI at bay. But MI’s stand-in skipper Suryakumar Yadav introduced Vignesh Puthur, whose double strike—dismissing Gaikwad and Shivam Dube—put CSK under pressure.
Debutant Puthur (3/32) further dented CSK by removing Deepak Hooda, while Will Jacks cleaned up Sam Curran, giving MI a glimmer of hope.
However, Rachin Ravindra held his nerve, forging a 36-run stand with Ravindra Jadeja, before Jadeja was run out. The moment the crowd was waiting for arrived as MS Dhoni walked in, sending Chepauk into a frenzy.
Rachin sealed the victory in style, smashing the first ball of the final over for a six, guiding CSK to 158/6 in 19.1 overs, securing a four-wicket win.
MI’s Innings: Noor Ahmad Wreaks Havoc
Earlier, after opting to bowl first, CSK pacer Khaleel Ahmed (3/29) struck early, dismissing Rohit Sharma for a duck in the first over.
Despite some resistance from Ryan Rickelton (13) and Will Jacks (11), MI slumped to 36/3 after Ravichandran Ashwin dismissed Jacks.
Suryakumar Yadav (29) and Tilak Varma (31) stabilized MI with a 51-run stand, but Noor Ahmad’s magical spell turned the tide.
The Afghan left-arm spinner dismissed:
- Suryakumar Yadav (29 off 26, 2×4, 1×6)
- Robin Minz (3)
- Tilak Varma (31 off 25, 2×4, 2×6)
- Naman Dhir (17 off 12, 2×4)
MI struggled at 118/7, but Deepak Chahar’s unbeaten 28 helped them reach 155/9 in 20 overs.
Match Summary:
🏏 Mumbai Indians: 155/9 (Tilak Varma 31, Suryakumar Yadav 29; Noor Ahmad 4/18, Khaleel Ahmed 3/29)
🏏 Chennai Super Kings: 158/6 in 19.1 overs (Rachin Ravindra 65*, Ruturaj Gaikwad 53; Vignesh Puthur 3/32)
✅ CSK won by 4 wickets
Key Takeaways:
- Noor Ahmad’s dream CSK debut: 4/18 in 4 overs
- Gaikwad’s fastest IPL fifty (53 off 28 balls)
- Rachin Ravindra’s match-winning 65 off 47 balls*
- MI’s losing streak in season openers since 2012 continues