NEW DELHI: Afghanistan’s mystery spinner Noor Ahmad made an unforgettable debut for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), claiming a sensational four-wicket haul to script a memorable four-wicket win over Mumbai Indians (MI) in their IPL 2025 opener at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, on Sunday.
Ahmad’s figures of 4 for 18 were not only the best by any CSK spinner against MI but also pivotal in restricting the visitors to a modest 155/9 on a typically slow Chepauk surface.
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In a match that continued MI’s unfortunate streak of not winning their opening game since 2012, Noor Ahmad was the undeniable game-changer. His spell broke the backbone of MI’s batting, leaving them struggling to gain any momentum. After Khaleel Ahmed (3/29) struck early by dismissing Rohit Sharma for a duck and Ryan Rickelton for 13, Ahmad took over the middle overs with his deceptive variations.
As it happened: CSK vs MI, IPL 2025
The highlight of Ahmad’s spell came when he dismissed MI’s stand-in captain Suryakumar Yadav (29 off 26) with a lightning-quick stumping by MS Dhoni, who showcased his evergreen reflexes behind the stumps. Dhoni’s brilliance not only highlighted his continued prowess but also underlined Ahmad’s skill to fox the batter with a well-disguised delivery.
Ahmad followed it up by trapping Tilak Varma (31 off 25) with a googly and dismissing Robin Minz and Naman Dhir in quick succession. The MI middle-order was left in tatters as Ahmad’s wizardry spun them into disarray.
Despite Deepak Chahar’s late resistance with a fiery 28 off 15 balls, MI could only muster 155/9, a total that never looked threatening.
Chasing 156, CSK got off to a steady start, anchored by skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, who smashed 53 off 26 balls before falling to IPL debutant Vignesh Puthur (3/32). Puthur briefly troubled CSK with his left-arm spin, removing Gaikwad, Shivam Dube and Deepak Hooda in quick succession. However, Rachin Ravindra’s unbeaten 65 off 45 balls ensured CSK’s march towards victory.
The crowd erupted when MS Dhoni walked out to bat with just four runs needed, but it was Ravindra who sealed the win with a towering six, as CSK reached the target in 19.1 overs.
With this victory, CSK extended their dominance over MI, having won six of the last seven head-to-head encounters since the second leg of IPL 2021.
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