Daijiworld Media Network- Mumbai
Mumbai, Apr 20: In an exciting IPL 2025 encounter at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya won the toss and chose to bowl first against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Match 38 on Sunday.
The big surprise of the day came from CSK, who handed a debut cap to 17-year-old Mumbai Ranji player Ayush Mhatre. By doing so, Mhatre became the youngest player ever to represent CSK in the IPL. The youngster, who replaced Rahul Tripathi in the playing XI, is creating waves with his IPL debut.
This news comes hot on the heels of Rajasthan Royals' decision to field 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi in a match just a day before, setting the stage for an exciting season where young talents are getting a chance to shine.
Mumbai Indians made one change to their lineup, bringing in Ashwani Kumar in place of a substitute. Given that two of the three games at Wankhede this season have been won by the chasing teams, it wasn’t surprising when Pandya decided to bowl first and follow the trend. Pandya shared his thoughts, saying, "The pitch looks good, and we expect it to get a bit sticky initially, which will allow us to assess the conditions."
Hardik Pandya remained upbeat about MI’s journey ahead, noting, "It’s exciting that we’ve not yet played our best cricket, and that gives us motivation to field our best team for every match." Talking about the rivalry with CSK, Pandya added, "MI vs CSK is always thrilling. Everyone gets excited when Dhoni is in the mix, and we look forward to today."
CSK's captain MS Dhoni also expressed agreement with the decision to bowl first, calling it a tactical choice. He spoke about the need for bold cricket but emphasized that players must also understand their own strengths. "It's important to allow players to express themselves on the field," Dhoni explained.
Reflecting on CSK’s struggles this season, Dhoni admitted that the team needed to work on their catching and improve in all departments of the game. "We've lost five matches in a row, but we must focus on improving every aspect of our performance to bounce back," he added.
Mumbai Indians:
Ryan Rickelton (wk), Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (capt), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Ashwani Kumar
Impact Substitutes: Corbin Bosch, Rohit Sharma, Raj Bawa, Robin Minz, Raju
Chennai Super Kings:
Shaik Rasheed, Rachin Ravindra, Ayush Mhatre, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Vijay Shankar, James Overton, MS Dhoni (capt & wk), Noor Ahmad, Ibrahim Khaleel, Matheesha Pathirana
Impact Substitutes: Anshul Kamboj, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Sam Curran, R. Ashwin
As the match progresses, eyes are on the young debutant, Ayush Mhatre, who will be keen to make a mark in what promises to be a thrilling contest between two of the IPL’s most popular teams.