Gaikwad dedicates CSK win over MI to bereaved Mukesh

Chennai Super Kings skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad dedicated his team’s massive 103-run win over Mumbai Indians to left-arm pacer Mukesh Choudhary, who returned to play despite the passing of his mother on Tuesday.

Speaking after Thursday’s match, Gaikwad acknowledged the emotional challenge Mukesh had gone through and praised his commitment to the team. “Pretty tough on him (Choudhary). I would dedicate this win to him,” Gaikwad said at the post-match presentation.

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“Coming in from that sad situation, it takes a lot of effort mentally. He came back for the team, he knew we needed him. All glory to him. Even we spoke before… we wanted to win the game and glad everyone chipped in and wanted to be there for him,” he added.

Mukesh, who was playing only his second game of the season, delivered a solid performance with the ball. He bowled four overs in a single spell and finished with figures of 1/31, helping CSK bowl Mumbai Indians out for 104 while defending a total of 208. He made an early impact by dismissing Quinton de Kock for 7 with just his fifth delivery.

Earlier in the match, CSK had posted 207 for 6 after being put in to bat, with Sanju Samson leading the way with an unbeaten 101. However, Gaikwad said the pitch was not as easy to bat on as the score suggested.

“Me and Sanju felt it was not coming on nicely,” he said. “Anyway 200-210 was going to be a good score. Akeal [Hosein] coming in for bowling helps a lot, everyone just chipped in really well. Those 20s from Kartik [Sharma, 18] and [Dewald] Brewis [21] helped a lot, it kept the momentum going and Sanju played a magnificent knock, taking us home again. Really thanks to him, he’s been fantastic.”

Gaikwad also praised the contribution of his spin bowlers, Noor Ahmad and Akeal Hosein, who played a key role in dismantling Mumbai’s batting lineup. The duo combined to take six wickets while conceding just 41 runs in their eight overs, with Hosein finishing with figures of 4 for 17 to earn the Player of the Match award.

“We’re kind of heading in a direction where we’re trying to cover all bases,” Gaikwad explained.

“Khaleel [Ahmed] wasn’t available, but Mukesh to start that first over, especially to Quinton, that really set the momentum. To bowl three overs in the powerplay to the likes of Surya[kumar Yadav] and Tilak [Varma], he started really well. Anshul [Kamboj] is always foxing [batters] well, Jamie [Overton] whenever the wicket has pace and bounce, he and Gurjapneet [Singh] can take wickets in the middle [overs] for us.

“We always have Noor and it’s always a blessing to have Akeal, if we have an opportunity. Overall, everyone is getting into their roles, settling and I feel everyone’s calm and composed, they know what to do. But I feel we [should] start [the next game] from zero, assessing the pitch, we’ve got a day game as well. Make sure we enjoy this win, keep it aside and ensure we’re ready for the next one,” Gaikwad added.