In the highly anticipated clash between two 5-time IPL champions, Mumbai Indians fell short against Chennai Super Kings. Mumbai lost their opening match for the 13th consecutive season.
Noor Ahmad shone brightly on his debut for Chennai Super Kings. The left-arm wrist spinner from Afghanistan delivered a stunning bowling performance, keeping the target within reach. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rachin Ravindra then took charge with the bat, leading Chennai to a winning start in the 18th edition of the IPL.
Chennai secured a 4-wicket victory in this battle of giants. At the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday, Ruturaj’s team chased down the 156-run target with five balls to spare.
Chennai has now won six of the last seven encounters against Mumbai. Meanwhile, Mumbai’s streak of losing their first match for 13 straight seasons continued.
On a spin-friendly wicket, Noor Ahmad emerged as the hero for Chennai. The spinner, bought for 10 crore rupees at the auction, took 4 wickets for just 18 runs in 4 overs, without conceding a single boundary. He was deservedly named the Player of the Match.
This was Noor Ahmad’s best bowling performance in the IPL. His previous best was 3 wickets for 37 runs, achieved while playing for Gujarat Titans in the 2023 season. Chennai’s pacer Khaleel Ahmed also impressed with 3 wickets for 29 runs.
For Mumbai, only one batter managed to score 30 or more. Tilak Varma top-scored with 31 runs off 25 balls.
Chennai captain Ruturaj Gaikwad led from the front with a blistering 53 off 26 balls, hitting 3 sixes and 6 fours. Rachin Ravindra remained unbeaten on 65 off 45 balls with 4 sixes and 2 fours, sealing the victory for Chennai.
Mumbai’s innings got off to a poor start as skipper Rohit Sharma was dismissed in the very first over without scoring. The Indian captain now shares the record for the most ducks (18) in IPL history with Glenn Maxwell and Dinesh Karthik.
After dismissing Rohit, Khaleel Ahmed sent back opener Ryan Rickelton in his next over. Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, returning to Chennai after a decade, dismissed Will Jacks. Mumbai lost three top-order batters within five overs, putting them under immense pressure.
A 51-run partnership between stand-in captain Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma provided some stability, but the momentum didn’t last. Noor Ahmad broke the partnership by dismissing Suryakumar, who was stumped for 29 off 26 balls due to MS Dhoni’s brilliant work behind the stumps.
In his next over, Noor Ahmad removed Robin Minj and Tilak Varma. He even raised hopes of a hat-trick when he dismissed Namann Dhir with the first ball of his following over. Although the hat-trick didn’t happen, he finished his fourth over by conceding just 2 runs — an extraordinary spell from the 20-year-old.
In the chase, Chennai lost Rahul Tripathi early, but a 67-run partnership in 37 balls between Rachin Ravindra and Ruturaj Gaikwad put them ahead. Ruturaj scored the fastest fifty of his IPL career, reaching the milestone in just 22 balls.
Chennai lost a few quick wickets after that. Making his senior cricket debut in this match, Vignesh Puthur impressed as Rohit’s ‘Impact Substitute’ by taking three wickets in his first three overs. The 24-year-old left-arm wrist spinner dismissed Ruturaj, Shivam Dube, and Deepak Hooda.
When Sam Curran fell cheaply, Chennai found themselves at 116/5. However, Rachin Ravindra and Ravindra Jadeja ensured there were no further hiccups.
With just 4 runs needed for victory, Jadeja was run out, bringing MS Dhoni to the crease amid loud cheers from the crowd. He remained unbeaten on 0 off 2 balls. Rachin Ravindra sealed the game with a six, ending the match in style.
Match Summary
- Mumbai Indians: 155/9 in 20 overs (Rohit 0, Rickelton 13, Jacks 11, Suryakumar 29, Tilak 31, Robin 3, Namann 17, Santner 11, Chahar 28*, Boult 1, Raju 1*; Khaleel 4-0-29-3, Curran 1-0-13-0, Ellis 4-0-38-1, Ashwin 4-0-31-1, Jadeja 3-0-21-0, Noor Ahmad 4-0-18-4)
- Chennai Super Kings: 158/6 in 19.1 overs (Rachin 65*, Tripathi 2, Ruturaj 53, Dube 9, Hooda 3, Curran 4, Jadeja 17, Dhoni 0*; Boult 3-0-27-0, Chahar 2-0-18-1, Raju 1-0-13-0, Santner 2.1-0-24-0, Jacks 4-0-32-1, Puthur 4-0-32-3, Namann 3-0-12-0)
Result: Chennai Super Kings won by 4 wickets.
Man of the Match: Noor Ahmad
