Mumbai Indians' stand-in captain, Suryakumar Yadav, admitted that his team fell 15-20 runs short despite putting up a commendable fight against Chennai Super Kings in their high-stakes IPL 2025 match on Sunday (March 23).

Advertisment

In another thrilling match of Indian Premier League’s ‘El Clasico,’ MI faced a sea of yellow at Chepauk after being put in to bat by CSK. Their innings got off to a rocky start as veteran opener Rohit Sharma departed for a four-ball duck. Left-arm wrist spinner Noor Ahmad dismantled MI’s middle order, hampering their chances of posting a formidable total.

Also Read: CSK vs MI: Rohit attains unwanted record; MS Dhoni rolls back years with spicy stumping – Watch

A crucial 51-run stand between Suryakumar and Tilak Varma helped MI scrape to 155/9. However, the total appeared below par on a challenging surface. Reflecting on the innings, Suryakumar said, "Absolutely. We were 15-20 runs short, but the fight the boys showed was commendable."

Advertisment

Despite the underwhelming total, MI unearthed an unexpected hero in debutant Vignesh Puthur. The young pacer, who had never played a domestic match before, made an instant impact. He dismissed CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad with his maiden IPL wicket and later sent back Shivam Dube and Deepak Hooda, keeping MI in the hunt.

SKY all praise for Vignesh

However, Rachin Ravindra anchored CSK’s chase and finished the game in style with a towering six, sealing a four-wicket win for the hosts. Suryakumar credited MI’s scouting system for unearthing talents like Vignesh, saying, "Amazing, MI is known for that—giving youngsters opportunities. The scouts work for 10 months, and he is a product of that. I kept his one over in the pocket if the game went deep, but it was a no-brainer to give him the 18th over."

Advertisment

While Rachin steered CSK home, Suryakumar believed it was Gaikwad’s blistering 53 that ultimately decided the match. "There wasn't any dew, but it was sticky. The way Ruturaj batted in the second innings took the game away from us," he signed off.

(With inputs from agencies)