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IPL: Ruturaj Gaikwad lauds Mukesh Choudhary's performance amid personal tragedy
24 Apr 2026

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has praised his team's collective effort and Mukesh Choudhary's individual performance in their recent 2026 Indian Premier League match against Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium.

Despite the demise of his mother, Choudhary showed immense courage and commitment by returning to play for the team.

"Hats off to him," said Gaikwad, adding that "it takes a lot mentally" to come back in such situations.

CSK mourns the passing of Mukesh's mother
Team support

The CSK team wore black armbands as a mark of respect for Mukesh's mother.

Earlier, the franchise expressed its condolences on X.

"The CSK family mourns the passing of Mukesh Choudhary's mother. We stand with Mukesh and his family, keeping them in our thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time," CSK wrote in an X post.

Gaikwad dedicates win to Mukesh
Match analysis

After CSK's 103-run victory over MI, Gaikwad dedicated the win to Mukesh, praising his resolve.

"I would definitely like to dedicate this win to him. Hats off to him, coming in from that sad situation," Gaikwad said during the post-match presentation.

Choudhary removed in-form opener Quinton de Kock for 7 to finish with 1/31 from four overs.

CSK climb to 5th place in IPL standings
Summary

CSK registered a thumping 103-run win over MI. The victory took them to fifth place in the IPL 2026 standings.

Samson scored an unbeaten century, his second of IPL 2026.

The explosive knock helped CSK post a challenging total of 207/6 in their allotted overs.

In response, MI were reduced to 11/3 and never quite ended up recovering in this stiff run-chase.

MI managed 104/10 and lost by 103 runs. Akeal Hosein claimed four wickets.

Gaikwad pleased with his troop
Statement

Gaikwad praised his team's bowling attack, saying they are heading in a direction where they are trying to cover all bases.

"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," he said.