Chennai Starts with Victory: Ruturaj, Rachin Hit Half-Centuries
Chennai defeats Mumbai by 4 wickets as Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rachin Ravindra lead the charge, Noor Ahmed stuns with brilliant bowling
Chennai Starts with a Victory: Ruturaj, Rachin Shine with Half-Centuries
Chennai Clinches 4-Wicket Win Against Mumbai
Led by captain Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rachin Ravindra, Chennai secured a 4-wicket victory over Mumbai, while Mumbai’s performance disappointed fans.
In the Premier League match held at Chennai’s Chepauk Stadium, Chennai and Mumbai clashed. Winning the toss, Chennai captain Ruturaj Gaikwad opted to bowl first.
Noor Ahmed’s Brilliant Spell
Mumbai had a rough start, with Rohit Sharma (0) dismissed early. Ryan Rickelton (13) and Will Jacks (11) also failed to impress. Captain Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma steadied the innings, adding 51 runs for the fourth wicket before Noor Ahmed dismissed Suryakumar (29). Noor continued his dominance, taking the wickets of Robin Minz (3), Tilak (31), and Naman Dhir (17).
Deepak Chahar provided some late resistance, hitting two sixes and two fours. Mumbai finished at 155/9 in 20 overs, with Deepak (28*) and Sathyanarayana Raju (1*) remaining unbeaten.
Ruturaj’s Explosive Knock
Chasing 156, Chennai suffered an early setback as Rahul Tripathi (2) fell cheaply. However, Rachin Ravindra and captain Ruturaj Gaikwad built a strong partnership. Gaikwad smashed a 22-ball fifty, hitting big shots off Deepak Chahar, Santner, and Will Jacks.
The duo added 67 runs for the second wicket before Gaikwad (56) was dismissed by Vignesh. The bowler then struck again, removing Shivam Dube (9) and Deepak Hooda (3).
Rachin’s Match-Winning Fifty
Rachin continued his stellar form, reaching his half-century with a six off Vignesh. While Ravindra Jadeja (17) was run out, Rachin remained composed. With 4 runs needed in the final over, he smashed the first ball for a six, sealing Chennai’s victory at 158/6 in 19.1 overs. Rachin (65*) and MS Dhoni (0*) remained unbeaten. Noor Ahmed was named Player of the Match for his outstanding bowling performance.
Rohit ’18’
Rohit Sharma now shares the record for most ducks (18) in the Premier League alongside Glenn Maxwell and Dinesh Karthik.
Noor Ahmed’s Best Bowling Figures
Noor Ahmed’s 4/18 against Mumbai is Chennai’s best bowling performance against them, surpassing Ravindra Jadeja’s 3/20 in 2023. This also marks Noor’s career-best spell, improving from his previous 3/37 against Mumbai in 2023 while playing for Gujarat.
Fastest Fifty by Ruturaj
Ruturaj Gaikwad registered his fastest half-century in the Premier League, reaching the milestone in just 22 balls. His previous best was a 23-ball fifty against Gujarat in 2023.
Mumbai’s Opening Match Jinx Continues
Mumbai has now lost their opening match for 13 consecutive seasons (2013-2025). Their last opening-game win was in 2012.
Dhoni’s Emotional Moment
MS Dhoni recently arrived in Chennai for the tournament, wearing a t-shirt with a secret Morse code message reading, “One last time.” This fueled speculation about his possible retirement.
At 43, Dhoni addressed the rumors, saying, “I can play for Chennai as long as I want. Even if I’m in a wheelchair, my fans will push me forward.”
Chennai captain Ruturaj said, “Dhoni doesn’t practice much now. His goal is to hit sixes in the match. Sachin hit sixes at the age of 51 in the recent Masters League. So, Dhoni can play for many more years,” he said.
