Mukesh Chaudhary played against MI after his mother passed away. Courtesy: PTI

CSK stand with Mukesh Choudhary, dedicate record win vs MI to pacer after personal loss

IPL 2026, MI vs CSK: Fast bowler Mukesh Choudhary played through personal grief as CSK dedicated their record 103-run win over Mumbai Indians to him after the passing of his mother.

23 Apr 2026, 18:44 by Sabyasachi Chowdhury · India Today

In Short

Mukesh played his first match this season after losing his mother
CSK wore black armbands to honour his mother’s memory on Thursday
Gaikwad said the squad stood by Mukesh during a mentally tough phase

Chennai Super Kings dedicated their win over Mumbai Indians to pacer Mukesh Choudhary, who featured in the IPL 2026 match just days after the passing of his mother. On Thursday, April 23, CSK registered their biggest-ever IPL victory, defeating MI by 103 runs in the El Clasico at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Choudhary was named in the playing XI for his first match of the season, with CSK confirming on social media that the team wore black armbands in his mother’s memory.

MI vs CSK: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD

After the game, skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad praised Mukesh’s courage, saying it was mentally tough for him, but he still returned for the team, with the entire CSK unit rallying around him in support.

“Pretty tough on him. Hats off to him, coming in that situation takes a lot mentally. He came back for the team, for the franchise because he knew we needed him. All glory to him. We all wanted to be there for him and chipped away for him,” Gaikwad said in the post-match presentation ceremony.

Mukesh had a decent outing with the ball, finishing with figures of 4-0-31-1. The left-arm speedster picked up the key wicket of Quinton de Kock, who had recently scored a century against the Punjab Kings at the same venue just a few days earlier.

CSK BOUNCE BACK AFTER POOR START

CSK, in the meantime, have gradually started to bounce back after losing three matches on the trot. Ruturaj Gaikwad’s men now have a chance to break into the top four. Sanju Samson starred with a century, while Akeal Hosein picked up four wickets as CSK produced a dominant performance to outclass MI.

With this victory, CSK moved to fifth on the table with six points and a net run rate of 0.118, having won three of their seven matches. The five-time champions will look to carry this momentum forward when they take on the Gujarat Titans on Sunday, April 26 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

- Ends