IPL 2025: Rohit Sharma finds his touch, Suryakumar Yadav steps on the gas as Mumbai Indians maul CSK

CSK’s batting once again well below par as the Rohit-SKY show powers MI to a massive win in clash of 5-time champions

MS Dhoni minced no words in the post-match interview as Chennai Super Kings lost their sixth match of the season out of eight to stay rooted at the bottom of the table. “We were quite below par. We knew dew would come in the second half, we should have started our slog earlier,” the CSK skipper said. At the halfway stage, CSK managed to muster up 176/5 on the board but it always felt short, especially given the lack of intent in the middle overs. As it turned out, Mumbai Indians needed just 15.4 overs to overhaul the target as Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav put on a breathtaking show of stroke making in an unbeaten 114-run partnership.

Rohit comes good

That Suryakumar Yadav smashed 30-ball 68, putting his hand up to bat at his favoured No 3 position against a spin-heavy CSK attack, at a strike rate of 226.66 would take up more column inches on another day. But on Sunday, the headline act belonged to Rohit. It wasn’t the most fluent of innings from their former captain, mind you. On another day, he could have been out in the late 20s again within the powerplay as he mistimed a lofted shot off Jamie Overton. On another, he could have been out shortly after reaching the half century, trying to go over extra cover but losing his shape but the ball fell evaded the fielder. On another day he could have been out on 58, when he attempted a swat on the leg side and the ball caught the leading edge and flew in the exact opposite direction of where it was intended to, but all Khaleel Ahmed could do at third man was push the ball in while the toe touched the boundary cushion and it turned out to be a six.

But beyond all that, Rohit’s unbeaten innings of 76 off 45 balls was a sight for sore MI fans’ eyes. Two early sixes over the leg side – his favorite pick-up shot – were signs that he was seeing the ball well, but the clear cut indication that he had his touch was in the third over when he carressed the ball between cover and mid-off when Khaleel erred on the fuller side. Michael Clarke, on air, observed then that Rohit ‘just looks different tonight. He is not trying to overhit the ball, he is still at the point of contact.’ It is something that Rohit confirmed later, that he was looking to hold his shape as much as possible and extend his arms when the ball was in his arc. He sent a slot ball from Overton flying over the square leg fence as his blistering start powered MI to 62/0 in the powerplay and nearly broke the chase there – in sharp contrast to CSK’s starting troubles. And he didn’t stop there, Rohit and Suryakumar combined then to break CSK’s spin-attack and made sure there would be no wobbles in the chase as MI cruised home with plenty of fuel left in the tank.

Story continues below this ad

“We don’t have to worry about Rohit’s form, we knew that when he comes good, it will be like this, and once that happens, he will take the game away,” captain Hardik Pandya said.

Innings of fits and starts

It was a true Wankhede pitch, with even turn and bounce and just a hint of spin. But the CSK batters seemed shot-shy. In the first couple of overs, they middled a lot of strokes, only to find the fielders. It was only after debutant Ayush Mhatre came out to bat, after Rachin Ravindra edged Ashwani Kumar behind, that the innings really got some impetus.

He showed why he has been hailed as a prospect in domestic cricket. Full balls were driven and flicked handsomely, some into the crowd, and when the bowlers tested the middle of the pitch, the pull shot came out to good effect too. He started with a straight-driven boundary off Ashwani, and followed it up with a wristy flick, then an imperious pull, both shots ending among the spectators. The powerplay, which initially seemed to be going to waste for CSK, ended up being at a half-decent 48/1, all thanks to Mhatre.

But such is the timidity of the CSK batting line-up that, after Mhatre’s dismissal, the batting again went into a shell. Shaik Rasheed, opening the batting, managed a 20-ball 19, and then Ravindra Jadeja and Shivam Dube took their own time before stepping on the gas. The run rate dropped from 8.60 after five overs to 6.63 after 11, as the first 30 runs of their partnership took 32 balls. Dube and Jadeja did manage to score their half centuries eventually but the time they took to get going proved costly in the end.

Santner shines

It’s not easy for an overseas spinner to come and make an impact in the IPL. Not many have. But Mitchell Santner has the skill and quiet confidence to hold his own against any batter. The Wankhede’s size would give any spinner bouts of anxiety, especially one who doesn’t have any mystery variations up his sleeve. But what the Kiwi left-arm spinner has is unerring accuracy, control over line and length, and ability to change his pace according to how he reads the batsmen.

Santner’s three overs on Sunday conceded just 14 runs, an achievement in itself, but the delivery he produced to dismiss Rasheed would be worth the admission money. He slowed the ball down to 77.4 kmph, gave it a generous amount of air outside off-stump, inviting the batsman to come onto the front foot. The subsequent dip and turn resulted in the right-hander losing his balance as he tried to push the ball into the offside. A stumping was the deserved reward for a fabulous piece of skill.

Click here to read article