Mumbai: The Mumbai Indians, known for their sluggish starts, once again stumbled in their opening match of the Indian Premier League on Sunday, suffering a four-wicket defeat to the Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

The last time MI secured a victory in their opening match was against CSK at Chepauk in 2012. Competing at the same venue, they hoped to break their losing streak. However, their supporters were left disappointed as they struggled against a formidable all-round bowling performance from the revamped CSK lineup on a sluggish pitch.

The team faced the consequences of a batting collapse. A strong start from left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed, coupled with an impressive display of wrist-spin bowling by left-arm chinaman Noor Ahmad, placed Chennai Super Kings in a commanding position after they opted to bowl first.

Khaleel provided CSK with an ideal beginning by dismissing Rohit Sharma on the fourth ball of the match, with a catch at midwicket. He maintained the pressure during the Powerplay with three incisive overs, concluding with remarkable figures of 3/29. The conditions in Chennai favoured spinners, and Noor took full advantage, achieving a stellar debut for his new franchise with figures of 4/18, the best by a CSK spinner against MI.

On the slow pitch, MI struggled to gain any momentum. A late surge from Deepak Chahar, who scored 13 and 14 runs in the final two overs, was the only highlight, allowing MI to surpass the 150-run mark. His unbeaten 28 off 15 balls, which included two fours and two sixes, helped MI finish at 155/9. CSK successfully chased down the target, reaching 158/6 with five balls remaining.

CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad (53 off 26 balls) expertly led the chase, supported by Rachin Ravindra (65 off 45 balls). Although MI secured an early wicket, Gaikwad dominated the bowlers, reaching his fifty in just 22 balls, marking his fastest in IPL history.

ROOKIE PUTHUR EXCELS

Mumbai Indians (MI) found a reason to celebrate with the impressive performance of their rookie left-arm wrist spinner, Vignesh Puthur, who was introduced as an Impact Player in place of Rohit Sharma. He made an immediate impact by taking wickets in each of his first three overs during the IPL, challenging the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

Puthur began his spell by claiming the crucial wicket of Gaikwad in his opening over. He then followed up by dismissing Shivam Dube and Deepak Hooda. All three batsmen were caught attempting to hit Puthur for sixes, but the young spinner's slower deliveries denied them the pace they needed.

At just 24 years old, Puthur kept MI in contention. CSK had successfully chased down 108 runs of the 156-run target, leaving them needing 48 runs at a run-a-ball pace, which added to the mounting pressure. On the first ball of the 15th over, Sam Curran was bowled while trying to hit Will Jacks, bringing the score to 116. Ravindra was holding one end, but boundaries were hard to come by.

With the match on the line at 21 runs needed from 18 balls, MI captain Suryakumar Yadav, filling in for the suspended Hardik Pandya, decided to bring Puthur back for his final over. The well-set Ravindra hit two sixes, scoring 15 runs off that over and dousing MI’s hopes.

SHARP STUMPING

At the age of 43, a player's reflexes are often under close observation. However, when Suryakumar stepped out and missed a well-flighted delivery outside off, Dhoni demonstrated his quickness by swiftly removing the bails, proving he still possesses his sharp instincts. This dismissal ended Suryakumar’s 51-run partnership with Tilak Varma and left MI in a precarious position at 87/4 after 10.3 overs.

Guided by Noor, the CSK spinners maintained control as MI lost four wickets for just eight runs within 16 balls. Noor struck a significant blow by dismissing Robert Minz and Varma in the 13th over, reducing MI to 96/6. After a brief two-over hiatus, Gaikwad reintroduced Noor in the 17th over, and he made an immediate impact by bowling Naman Dhir with his first delivery, marking his fourth wicket.

Read Also: MI Nets Sensation: Vignesh Puthur Leaves Rohit & Surya Baffled, Heads to South Africa

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