It has been a difficult few days for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) pacer Mukesh Choudhary. The 29-year-old recently lost his mother and travelled to Bhilwara upon receiving the news. However, he returned in time to take the field against the Mumbai Indians in an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 match at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. CSK players took the field wearing black armbands to show their support towards the speedster and pay respects to Mukesh’s late mother.
After CSK’s thumping 103-run win over the five-time champions, skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad dedicated the win to Mukesh, lauding the pacer for his resolve. He also said that the entire team wanted to do something special for him, knowing how the last few days had been difficult for him.
“Yes, pretty tough on him. I would definitely like to dedicate this win to him. Hats off to him, coming in from that sad situation, it takes a lot of effort mentally, and I think he came back for the team, came back for the franchise,” said Gaikwad during the post-match presentation.
“He knew that we needed him, so definitely, all glory to him. Before going into the bowling, we spoke about wanting to win this game for him. And I’m glad that everyone chipped in on it and wanted to just be there for him,” he added.
According to a report in Dainik Bhaskar, Mukesh’s mother died on Tuesday after being unwell for almost a year. She had been undergoing treatment at the Tata Hospital.
What else did Gaikwad say?
Speaking about the match between Mumbai and Chennai, the latter registered a thumping 103-run win, jumping to the fifth spot in the points table. Sanju Samson was adjudged as Player of the Match for his knock of 101 runs. Akeal Hosein then returned with four wickets as Mumbai were bundled out for 104. Gaikwad also said that the bowling attack is shaping really well, and everyone has the clarity of thought.
“We’re heading in a direction where we are trying to cover all the bases. Khaleel wasn’t available, but Mukesh started that first over, especially to Quinton, and I thought that really set the momentum. And even to bowl three overs in the powerplay to the likes of Surya and Tilak, he started really well. Anshul is always doing well,” said Gaikwad.
“And Jamie, whenever the wicket has some pace and bounce, Jamie and Gurjapneet are the ones who can take wickets for us in the middle as well. And you always have Noor, and then always a blessing to have Akeal if we have an opportunity. So as I said, overall, everyone is getting into their roles. Everyone is settling, and everyone is calm and composed and knows what to do,” he added.