Mumbai Indians’ struggles in IPL season openers seem never-ending: they slumped to their 13th consecutive loss in opening games, a streak they’ll be desperate to break someday. This time, it was the Chennai Super Kings who handed them another bitter defeat: chasing down Mumbai’s modest target with relative ease. But the match had its moments of drama.

Young left-arm wrist-spinner Vignesh Puthur turned heads with an impressive spell in the middle overs: he picked up three wickets in quick succession, briefly breathing life back into Mumbai’s defense. For a short while, it looked like CSK might have to sweat for those remaining runs. But ultimately, 156 was never going to be enough against a team as composed as Chennai.

At the heart of CSK’s successful chase was Rachin Ravindra: cool, calm, and collected at the crease. He anchored the innings with an unbeaten half-century, showing maturity beyond his years. And fittingly, it was Rachin who struck the winning runs: a moment of triumph that capped off a commanding performance. His partnership with Ruturaj Gaikwad set the tone early on. The newly appointed captain wasted no time making an impact: hammering a 22-ball fifty, his fastest in IPL history. Ruturaj’s intent from the start put Mumbai on the back foot, and they never quite recovered.

Earlier in the match, Mumbai Indians got off to a disastrous start with the bat: Khaleel Ahmed struck twice in quick succession, removing the experienced Rohit Sharma and newcomer Ryan Rickelton cheaply. It was a blow from which Mumbai struggled to recover. Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma tried to stage a rescue act: they showed flashes of brilliance and stitched together a brief partnership that raised hopes of a competitive total.

But CSK debutant Noor Ahmad had other ideas: the left-arm spinner tore through Mumbai’s middle order with a devastating spell, claiming four crucial wickets. His variations kept the batters guessing, and his breakthrough performance on debut couldn’t have come at a better time for CSK. With wickets falling at regular intervals, Mumbai found themselves reeling.

It took a late cameo from Deepak Chahar to give Mumbai’s innings a semblance of respectability: he chipped in with some handy runs down the order, helping them post 155/9 in their 20 overs. But in the end, that total proved too little against Chennai’s deep batting lineup.

Another season opener, another disappointment for Mumbai Indians: their quest for an opening win continues. Meanwhile, CSK will be pleased with their clinical start under their new skipper.