"He took the game away" - Suryakumar Yadav holds Ruturaj Gaikwad responsible for MI's loss to CSK

Under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav, the Mumbai Indians (MI) started their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 campaign with a loss on Sunday, March 23.

The Mumbai Indians faced a 4-wicket defeat at the hands of the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai.

Also Read: Watch: MS Dhoni’s special appreciation for Vignesh Puthur melts hearts after CSK vs MI clash

I mean it was amazing to see him bowl like that - Suryakumar Yadav in awe of Vignesh Puthur

Batting first in the match, Mumbai Indians posted just 155 runs for 9 on the board due to a top and middle-order failure. Then, with the ball, they started poorly and, in the middle overs, made a comeback, but the total was too small to defend.

Speaking after the match, Suryakumar Yadav said that the result of the match could've been different had they scored a few more runs. He said:

"Absolutely Ravi bhai. I heard you, we were actually 15-20 runs short but the fight the boys showed till the end was absolutely commendable."

Suryakumar Yadav was in awe of the way debutant Vignesh Puthur bowled and registered the figures of 4-0-32-3. While talking about the young player, Suryakumar Yadav lauded the scouting team of MI for unearthing a talent like him. He elaborated:

"I mean it was amazing to see him bowl like that. MI is known for bringing up such talents. The scouts do this 10 months before the Auction and I am sure he has a bright future ahead.

"(On holding back Vignesh's 4th over) Not really. I kept his last over in my pocket as I thought if the game goes deep, then I will introduce him into the attack but never mind it didn't go the way I thought."

But the way Ruturaj batted in the 2nd innings was brilliant - Ruturaj Gaikwad

Suryakumar Yadav denied blaming dew for their loss and said that it was Ruturaj Gaikwad, who took the game away from MI with his brilliant batting. He stated:

"There wasn't any dew. I felt it was a bit sticky. 15-20 runs more and the game would have been interesting. But the way Ruturaj batted in the 2nd innings was brilliant. He took the game away from us."

At last Suryakumar Yadav talked about MI not winning the first game of the tournament since 2012 but aiming to win the 6th title in IPL 2025. He said:

"That's a long way ahead and I am very much looking forward to it. It's going to be an amazing journey for sure."

How Did MI Perform in their Previous IPL Match Against CSK?

In their previous match against the Chennai Super Kings, the Mumbai Indians fought hard but ultimately fell short in their chase of 207, losing the game by 20 runs at the Wankhede Stadium. Rohit Sharma played a sensational knock, scoring an unbeaten 105 off 63 balls, but the lack of support from the other end proved costly.

MI’s chase started on a strong note, with Rohit and Ishan Kishan (23 off 15) adding 70 runs in the first seven overs. However, Matheesha Pathirana turned the game on its head with his pace-bowling. The Sri Lankan pacer dismissed Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (0), and Tilak Varma (31) in quick succession, halting MI’s momentum.

Despite having firepower in the lower order, MI’s batting lineup struggled to accelerate at crucial moments. Hardik Pandya (2 off 6) and Romario Shepherd (1 off 2) failed to make an impact, while Tim David’s 13 off 5 wasn’t enough to revive the innings as Mumbai Indians were restricted to 186/6

Earlier in the innings on the bowling front, Jasprit Bumrah was exceptional, conceding just 27 runs in his four overs, but Hardik Pandya’s expensive final over, where MS Dhoni smashed three consecutive sixes, cost MI a lot. Other MI bowlers also didn't look threatening and CSK were allowed to post 206/4 on the board.