Chennai Super Kings (CSK) kicked off its 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign with a nervy four-wicket victory over archrival Mumbai Indians (MI) at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday.
The night belonged to Noor Ahmad, CSK’s Rs. 10 crore recruit, who made a sensational debut for the franchise. The Afghan spinner tore through MI’s middle order with a stunning 4/18—the best figures by a CSK bowler in the last two seasons.
His spell ensured MI was restricted to a modest 155 for nine, setting up what seemed like a straightforward chase for the host.
MI’s opening-day curse continues
For MI, history repeated itself in the worst possible way. The five-time champion slumped to its 13th consecutive opening-match defeat, extending an unwanted record that has now lasted over a decade.
The evening began with an early setback. Rohit Sharma’s struggles against left-arm pace continued as he miscued a slower ball from Khaleel Ahmed in the very first over, offering a simple catch to Shivam Dube at midwicket. It marked his ninth dismissal to a left-arm seamer since IPL 2022—a glaring weakness that CSK capitalised on.
Ryan Rickelton looked threatening, striking a few crisp boundaries initially, but he too fell to Khaleel, dragging a full delivery onto his stumps. MI’s troubles deepened when Ravichandran Ashwin, back in yellow at Chepauk after nine years, bamboozled Will Jacks with a carrom ball.
At 36 for three, MI was in deep trouble. Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma staged a brief recovery with a 50-run stand, but just as MI seemed to be regaining momentum, MS Dhoni rolled back the years with a lightning-fast stumping. Noor tossed one up outside off, drawing Suryakumar forward, and before the MI skipper could blink—0.12 seconds to be precise—the bails were off.
Noor wasn’t finished. In the same over, he dismissed debutant Robin Minz and the well-set Tilak (31 off 25), leaving MI gasping for runs. A late 15-ball 28 from Deepak Chahar provided some resistance, but the visitor had clearly fallen short of a competitive total.
CSK’s aggressive start and middle-order troubles
Chasing 156, CSK came out with a brand-new intent. Last season, it averaged 8.72 runs per over in the PowerPlay, but this time, it went all guns blazing, smashing 62 runs in the first six overs.
Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad led the charge, adopting a fearless approach. In a tactical move, he dropped down the order as Impact Player Rahul Tripathi was promoted to open alongside Rachin Ravindra. The experiment backfired, with Tripathi lasting just three balls for two runs.
CSK’s attacking mindset came at a cost. It lost three wickets for just 29 runs, but Gaikwad’s blistering 26-ball 53 kept it ahead of the required run rate.
However, MI found hope through debutant Vignesh Puthur, a 24-year-old left-arm wrist spinner, who impressed with figures of three for 32 in his four overs.
At the other end, Ravindra provided stability. The Kiwi all-rounder, continuing his fine form, anchored the chase as wickets tumbled around him. Despite a few tense moments, he ensured CSK was in control for the large part of the chase.
The 30,000-strong Chepauk crowd had a moment to savour when a mix-up between Ravindra Jadeja and Ravindra briefly brought Dhoni to the crease. However, Ravindra sealed the victory off the first ball of the final over, finishing unbeaten on 65 off 45 balls, with two fours and four sixes.
