Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad dedicated his team’s decisive 103-run win over Mumbai Indians to teammate Mukesh Choudhary, who played despite the recent passing of his mother. The squad wore black armbands as a mark of respect during the Indian Premier League 2026 Match 33 at Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. Gaikwad commented post-match that the situation was challenging for Choudhary and attributed the victory to him, noting the team’s collective support and strong performance.
CSK chose to bat first and set a challenging total of 207/6, driven by Sanju Samson’s unbeaten century of 101 and solid inputs from other batters that pushed the score beyond 200.
Mumbai Indians faltered in their chase, getting dismissed for 104 in 19 overs. Akeal Hosein claimed four wickets, with Noor Ahmad offering key assistance.
Gaikwad explained the toss decision stemmed from intuition, as the pitch seemed unfavorable for batting second. He commended the batting group’s shared efforts, emphasizing how even brief innings were vital, and praised Samson’s outstanding performance.
He highlighted Choudhary’s early dismissal of Quinton de Kock as a momentum-setter and lauded the bowling lineup’s composure and the team’s overall balance.
Gaikwad noted the squad’s improving form in the competition, focusing on thorough preparation and fresh starts each game.
With this result, CSK climbed to fifth in the standings with six points from seven games. Their next opponent is Gujarat Titans on April 26.
(This report is from a syndicated source and has not been altered by NDTV staff, except for the title.)
