IPL 2025: Jadeja, Shivam Dube’s Fifties Propel CSK to 176/5 Against MI

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) posted a competitive total of 176/5 against Mumbai Indians (MI) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 encounter at Wankhede Stadium. The highlight of the innings came from Ravindra Jadeja and Shivam Dube, who played key knocks to steer their side to a challenging total. Jadeja remained unbeaten on 53 off 35 balls, while Dube made 50 from 32 balls before being dismissed in the final overs.

Boult's Expensive Spell Proves Costly for MI

Trent Boult’s bowling performance was a letdown for MI, with the pacer leaking 43 runs from his four overs, including 16 runs in his final over. Despite his efforts, Boult was unable to contain the CSK batters, especially Dube, who took full advantage of the powerplay and beyond. In the penultimate over, Jadeja also struck Boult for a boundary, pushing CSK closer to their target of 180.

Dube’s Aggression Key for CSK

Shivam Dube's scintillating stroke play was one of the defining moments of the innings. His knock was marked by a blistering six over deep mid-wicket off Hardik Pandya, bringing up CSK's 100 in the 12th over. However, Dube's aggression came at a cost as he holed out to deep mid-wicket off Jasprit Bumrah, ending his stay at the crease. Despite his departure, CSK had already laid a strong foundation for a formidable total.

Bumrah Strikes but MI Fail to Build Momentum

Bumrah was the pick of the MI bowlers, claiming the wicket of MS Dhoni, who was dismissed cheaply for 4. However, the MI bowlers struggled to maintain control. Mitchell Santner, although economical, could only scalp one wicket in his four-over spell, conceding just 14 runs. His tight bowling, along with Bumrah's breakthroughs, gave MI brief moments of optimism but failed to halt CSK’s progress significantly.

CSK's Slow Start and Early Wickets

The innings began cautiously with CSK's openers struggling against MI’s pacers. Rachin Ravindra, in particular, found Boult’s swing challenging, and was dismissed for just 5 runs. Deepak Chahar, on the other hand, bowled with good swing but failed to pick up a wicket in his four overs. It wasn’t until Ayush Mhatre’s cameo—32 runs off 15 balls—that CSK gained some momentum in the middle overs.

Santner and Chahar Provide Vital Breakthroughs

Santner delivered an excellent spell, dismissing Shaik Rasheed with a perfect delivery that beat the batter's forward defense. Chahar, after a quiet start, dismissed Mhatre with a slower ball, providing a crucial breakthrough that slowed down CSK’s charge. Despite the early setbacks, CSK’s middle order, led by Dube and Jadeja, provided the necessary acceleration to push the score past 170.

MS Dhoni’s Approach and Strategy

In a pre-match statement, CSK captain MS Dhoni emphasized the importance of partnerships and bold cricket. “We need to play bold cricket but at the same time, batters have to realise their strengths, and the same goes for the bowlers,” said Dhoni. The Chennai skipper, who was dismissed for a rare low score, also spoke about the need for better fielding as CSK have struggled in that department this season.

MI’s Bowling Strategy Under Scrutiny

Mumbai Indians, led by Hardik Pandya, entered the match with an unchanged lineup after opting to bowl first. Despite some good moments in the field and with the ball, MI failed to stem the flow of runs in the latter part of the CSK innings. While Jasprit Bumrah's experience was evident in his two wickets, the others, including Boult and Chahar, were unable to capitalize on the early breakthroughs.

Looking Ahead

CSK’s 176/5 sets a challenging target for MI, who will need to bring their A-game to chase down this total. With a solid batting lineup led by the likes of Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma, MI’s chase promises to be an exciting contest. For CSK, the focus will be on maintaining discipline with the ball, with key bowlers like Khaleel Ahmed and Matheesha Pathirana needing to deliver under pressure.

As the match progresses, all eyes will be on how MI plans to tackle CSK’s bowlers and whether they can chase down the target in the face of disciplined bowling from Chennai.