IPL 2025: CSK beat MI in low-scoring thriller at Chepauk
What's the story
Chennai Super Kings hammered Mumbai Indians in Match 3 of the 2025 Indian Premier League season at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
Substantial knocks from Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rachin Ravindra helped CSK chase down 156.
MI struggled in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, while Noor Ahmad and Khaleel Ahmed shared seven wickets.
Debutant Vignesh Puthur was MI's find of the match.
MI innings
Deepak Chahar's cameo bolsters MI
MI had a patchy start after CSK captain Gaikwad elected to field.
Khaleel struck early, sending back Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton early. MI were down to 36/3 in the Powerplay.
Although Suryakumar Yadav took MI toward 100, they lost two more wickets before this mark.
Noor's exploits further reduced MI to 128/8, but Deepak Chahar slammed a 15-ball 28* to bolster MI (155/9).
CSK innings
CSK evade Puthur scare
CSK skipper Gaikawd stepped up as they lost Rahul Tripathi. He joined forces with Rachin Ravindra and marched them forward.
While Ravindra showed resilience, Gaikwad counter-attacked. His brisk knock was ended by debutant Vignesh Puthur.
Puthur further exposed CSK's middle order, dismissing Shivam Dube and Deepak Hooda.
CSK slumped from 95/2 to 116/5, but Rachin Ravindra, Ravindra Jadeja, and MS Dhoni got them home.
Fifty
19th IPL fifty for Gaikwad
Gaikwad's 22-ball fifty is now his fastest in the IPL. His 26-ball 53 was laced with 6 fours and 3 sixes.
The CSK skipper slammed his 19th half-century in the cash-rich league. He also has two tons to his name.
Five of his fifty-plus IPL scores came in the 2024 season, where he scored 583 runs at an average of 53.00.
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MI's deadlock continues!
It is worth noting that MI have not won their opening match in the IPL since 2012. They lost their 2024 opener to Gujarat Titans. Notably, MI now have a 20-18 win-loss record against CSK in the IPL.
Noor
Noor's career-best figures in IPL
Noor was the pick of CSK's bowlers. He chipped in after MI were down to 36/3 in the Powerplay.
He first sent back Suryakumar. In his very next over, the wrist-spinner dismissed Robin Minz and Tilak Varma.
Noor then knocked over Naman Dhir, conceding 18 runs in four overs.
He recorded his career-best bowling figures in the IPL (previous-best were 3/37 against GT).
Khaleel
Khaleel shines with three wickets
Left-arm seamer Khaleel bowled full throttle, making his debut for the Super Kings.
Khaleel, who dismissed Rohit, and Rickelton early on, scalped Trent Boult at the back end. He conceded 29 runs in four overs.
In a career spanning seven years, the Indian seamer has taken 77 wickets from 58 IPL encounters at an average of 24.80.
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Khaleel gets Rohit again
As per Cricbuzz, Khaleel dismissed Rohit for the third time in seven IPL innings. The former MI skipper has scored just 28 runs off just 43 balls against Khaleel. His dot ball percentage is 64.4.
Rohit
Rohit records his 18th duck, joint-most in IPL
It was forgettable outing for Rohit, who recorded a four-ball duck. He was subbed out in the second innings. Vignesh Puthur replaced him.
This marked his 18th duck, now the joint-most in IPL history along with Glenn Maxwell and Dinesh Karthik.
Spinners Piyush Chawla and Sunil Narine follow the trio with 16 ducks each, as per Cricbuzz.
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Second-most appearances in IPL
Rohit now has the second-most appearances for a player in the IPL. He went past Karthik, who has already retired from the league. Rohit, with 258 caps, is only behind Mahendra Singh Dhoni (264) on this list.
Ravindra
Ravindra powers CSK with second IPL fifty
Youngster Puthur created panic in the CSK setup in middle overs. However, Ravindra held his end despite losing partners.
He broke loose in the former's final over, smashing two clean sixes. This brought the Super Kings within touching distance.
Overall, Ravindra slammed 45-ball 65*, a knock laced with 2 fours and 4 sixes. It was his second half-century in the IPL.