Noor Ahmad shines on debut while Gaikwad and Rachin shepherd chase for 4-wicket win with 5 balls to spare
Chennai Super Kings’ plan to fall back on the spin formula works as Noor Ahmad’s 4/18 chokes Mumbai Indians on way to 4-wicket win
Off the mark
With Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra and Rahul Tripathi in the squad, Chennai had a decision to make regarding their openers. With Tripathi mostly batting at No.3 in the past, it looked Rachin and Ruturaj Gaikwad would be the opening pair. But coming out for the chase of 156, Chennai sprung a surprise, as Tripathi walked out with Rachin – the pair were the preferred choice in the practice matches with Gaikwad dropped to No 3. It was a bold call, for the right-hander is known to get off the blocks slowly.
Coming out in the second over after Tripathi’s dismissal, it was Gaikwad who took the limelight with his crisp shots as Rachin struggled with his timing.
The skipper started off with two textbook square drives off Trent Boult and then brought out his cuts as boundaries flowed in the Powerplay. With Jasprit Bumrah missing, Mumbai needed Deepak Chahar to make more inroads, but as he didn’t manage much movement, Gaikwad dominated proceedings. As Chennai went at 9 runs an over, the chase appeared as good as over.
𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝘽𝘼𝙉𝙂 💪
Rachin Ravindra takes #CSK to a win over #MI with a brilliant maximum 💛
Scorecard ▶ https://t.co/QlMj4G7kV0#TATAIPL | #CSKvMI | @ChennaiIPL pic.twitter.com/rVjsGQOHyD
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 23, 2025
But the arrival of left-arm wrist-spinner Vignesh Puthur would offer some twists. Gaikwad, Shivam Dube and Deepak Hooda perished trying to go after the rookie as Mumbai stayed in the game. But Rachin, who batted in third gear for the major part of his innings to score an unbeaten 65 off 45 balls, saw Chennai home.
𝙁𝙖𝙨𝙩. 𝙁𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧. 𝙈𝙎 𝘿𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙞 🫡
📹 Watch #CSK legend’s jaw-dropping reflexes behind the stumps 🔥
Updates ▶ https://t.co/QlMj4G7kV0#TATAIPL | #CSKvMI | @ChennaiIPL | @msdhoni pic.twitter.com/S26cUYzRd8
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 23, 2025
Noor, the X-factor
Calling the shots on the night was Noor. He may be just 20, but has been a T20 globetrotter since 2020. At 15, he bagged a contract with Big Bash League franchise Melbourne Renegades and in the next year was part of the Pakistan Super League. But it is in the IPL where his stocks have really risen. In the first two years, he partnered his idol Rashid Khan at Gujarat Titans and this season, Chennai fended off interest from Mumbai. In the tie-breaker, despite already having Jadeja and Ashwin in their ranks, head coach Stephen Fleming showed all 10 fingers to double the bid to Rs 10 crore. Irrespective of how the Chepauk pitch behaved, Chennai wanted a wicket-taking spinner and in Noor, have one who can be their X-factor in the middle overs. If the pitch offers turn, like the one on Sunday, Noor becomes all the more lethal. In his second over, he had Suryakumar Yadav with his googly which beat him in the air before MS Dhoni took the bails off in a flash. Then in the third over, with his flat trajectory, he got debutant Robin Minz before trapping Tilak Varma with another googly to leave Mumbai struggling at 96/6 by the end of the 13th over.
It looked done and dusted, but Deepa Chahar, who has switched over from Chennai to Mumbai, had other ideas. Coming in at No.9, he scored 28 off 15 deliveries as Mumbai ended with 155/9.
The article originally appeared on The India Express
