Chennai Super Kings put on a commanding performance to defeat their fierce rivals, Mumbai Indians, at Chepauk, setting an early tone for IPL 2025. On a pitch that finally offered some assistance to spinners, CSK’s bowlers, led by their new recruit Noor Ahmad, laid the foundation for the win. This was followed by contrasting yet impactful half-centuries from Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rachin Ravindra, guiding CSK to a four-wicket victory. The loss extended MI’s unwanted streak of failing to win their opening game for the 13th consecutive season.
Where was the game won?
The PowerPlay proved decisive. While both teams struggled to find boundaries against spin in the middle overs, the first six overs set the tone. MI lost two extra wickets in this phase, which ultimately cost them. CSK, on the other hand, lost just one wicket, with Gaikwad capitalizing on the fielding restrictions to give his team a flying start. This early momentum allowed CSK to recover from a mid-innings stutter and seal the game in the death overs.
Mumbai Indians
Powerplay: New faces, mixed results
Phase score: 52/3 [RR: 8.66, 4s/6s: 9/1]
R Ashwin, though not new to CSK, made an immediate impact in his return to the franchise after a decade. His carrom ball dismissed Will Jacks, caught by Shivam Dube. Earlier, Khaleel Ahmed had struck by removing Rohit Sharma for a duck, with the former MI skipper hitting a simple catch to mid-wicket. Ryan Rickelton, making his IPL debut, showed promise with a couple of elegant strokes off Sam Curran, but his innings was cut short by Khaleel, who shattered his stumps. Tilak Varma surprised everyone with two risky shots off his first two balls for boundaries, while Suryakumar Yadav ended the PowerPlay with a trademark whip over the fence.
Middle overs: Spin dominates at Chepauk
Phase score: 58/3 [RR: 6.44, 4s/6s: 1/2]
The Chepauk pitch, a talking point throughout CSK’s pre-season, finally offered some assistance to spinners. While it wasn’t a complete throwback to CSK’s glory days, it was enough to trouble the batters. Tilak Varma did smash Ravindra Jadeja for two sixes, but Noor Ahmad turned the game in CSK’s favor. After MI reached 82/3 at the halfway mark, Noor struck by dismissing Suryakumar Yadav, stumped brilliantly by the evergreen MS Dhoni. The Afghan spinner then took two more wickets in his next over, removing Robin Minz and Tilak Varma, both failing to read his googly. At 110/6, MI needed a miracle from their lower order to post a competitive total.
Death overs: Deepak Chahar’s late flourish
Phase score: 45/3 [RR: 9, 4s/6s: 3/2]
With Nathan Ellis having three overs left, MI’s hopes looked slim. Noor returned to bowl Naman Dhir, leaving it to former CSK players Mitchell Santner and Deepak Chahar to salvage the innings. Santner fell lbw to Ellis, but Chahar smashed two sixes and two fours in the final two overs, pushing MI to 155 and giving their bowlers something to defend.
Chennai Super Kings
Powerplay: Ruturaj Gaikwad takes charge
Phase score: 62/1 [RR: 10.33, 4s/6s: 8/2]
CSK surprised everyone by sending Rahul Tripathi to open with Rachin Ravindra, but the experiment didn’t last long as Deepak Chahar removed Tripathi early. Gaikwad, however, was in no mood to waste time, hitting Trent Boult for back-to-back boundaries before launching Chahar for a massive six over deep mid-wicket. He continued his assault, welcoming Satyanarayana Raju with two fours and smashing Mitchell Santner for a six and two fours in the final over of the PowerPlay. Gaikwad raced to 42 off just 19 balls, setting the stage for CSK’s chase.
Middle overs: Debutant Vignesh Puthur strikes
Phase score: 57/4 [RR: 6.33, 4s/6s: 0/3]
Gaikwad’s dominance continued after the PowerPlay as he effortlessly lofted one over extra cover for his third six, reaching his fifty in just 22 balls—his fastest in IPL history. However, debutant Vignesh Puthur brought MI back into the game by dismissing Gaikwad, who mistimed a shot to the boundary. Shivam Dube showed intent with a six but fell to Puthur in the next over. The debutant struck again, removing Deepak Hooda, and MI’s spinners tightened the screws. Sam Curran’s dismissal left CSK needing 37 from the last five overs with five wickets in hand.
Death overs: Rachin Ravindra seals the deal
Phase score: 39/1 [RR: 9.35, 4s/6s: 1/3]
With the pressure mounting, CSK needed boundaries to ease the tension. Ravindra Jadeja found one off Boult, but it was Rachin Ravindra who took center stage, smashing two sixes off Puthur in the 18th over to bring up a crucial fifty. His composed innings, combined with Jadeja’s support, ensured CSK crossed the line with five balls to spare. MS Dhoni’s brief appearance was merely a formality as Rachin finished the game in style with another six.
Brief scores:
Mumbai Indians: 155/9 in 20 overs (Tilak Varma 31; 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)
Result: CSK won by 4 wickets
What’s next?
CSK will be pleased with their performance and will hope for another spin-friendly surface when they face RCB in a high-octane southern derby on Friday. Meanwhile, MI will look to bounce back in their second game against Gujarat Titans, another away fixture, scheduled for Saturday.
