IPL 2025: Rachin Ravindra and Ruturaj Gaikwad Lead CSK to Victory Over MI

Chennai, March 23 (NationPress) Outstanding performances from Rachin Ravindra, who scored 65 not out, and captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, with 53 runs, propelled Chennai Super Kings to a four-wicket victory against Mumbai Indians at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday.

With the assistance of Noor Ahmad’s 4 wickets for 18 runs and Khaleel Ahmed’s 3 wickets for 29 runs, CSK managed to restrict MI to 155 runs for 9 wickets. Gaikwad showcased a blend of aggression and precision, hitting six fours and three sixes, achieving his fifty in just 22 balls, marking his fastest half-century in the IPL.

Despite losing wickets at the other end, Ravindra remained steady, finishing with an unbeaten 65 off 45 balls, which included two fours and four sixes, sealing a tense victory for CSK. For MI, debutant Vignesh Puthur’s spell of 3 wickets for 32 runs was a notable highlight.

In pursuit of 156 runs, Deepak Chahar struck early, dismissing Rahul Tripathi in the second over. Gaikwad, batting at number three, quickly found his rhythm, dispatching Trent Boult for consecutive fours, followed by a six.

Taking advantage of debutant pacer Satyanarayana Raju's mistakes, Gaikwad attacked the off-side, smashing Mitchell Santner for a six and two fours, as CSK concluded the power-play at 62 for 1. Gaikwad then lofted Will Jacks for another six before reaching his fifty in a remarkable 22 balls. However, he fell for 53 while attempting to loft a drive against Puthur, leading to a catch at long-off.

Puthur, still new to senior cricket in Kerala, secured another significant wicket as Shivam Dube was caught after a well-placed googly sent him back for just 9 runs. Amidst the wickets, Ravindra, who was at 28 off 27 balls, shifted gears by lofting Puthur for a six. Deepak Hooda’s attempt at a slog-sweep was unsuccessful, and he was caught in the deep.

CSK began to face challenges as Sam Curran was bowled for 4 runs, leaving them needing 31 runs from the last four overs. Ravindra Jadeja managed to slice Boult for a four, contributing to a 10-run 17th over.

Ravindra celebrated his fifty in 42 balls with a six over mid-wicket, followed by another maximum over long-on. Though Jadeja was run out for 17, Ravindra concluded the chase emphatically with a six off Santner, much to the excitement of the crowd, including a silent MS Dhoni, as CSK began their IPL campaign with a victory.

Brief scores:

Mumbai Indians: 155/9 in 20 overs (Tilak Varma 31, Suryakumar Yadav 29; Noor Ahmad 4-18, Khaleel Ahmed 3-29) lost to Chennai Super Kings: 158/6 in 19.1 overs (Rachin Ravindra 65 not out, Ruturaj Gaikwad 53; Vignesh Puthur 3-32, Deepak Chahar 1-18) by four wickets