Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: When Mukesh Choudhary rattled Quinton de Kock’s stumps, there was no exultation, no pumped-up reaction, no leap in the air. No visible celebrations followed, no loud gestures either. Instead, he stood still in the middle of the ground, looked up at the sky and pointed his finger upwards, quietly saying, ‘Maa, ye tere liye hai’.It was a silent tribute from a son who was playing through deep personal pain, having performed his mother’s last rites in Bhilwara, Rajasthan, and rejoined his team duties the very next day. Mukesh’s mother had passed away on Tuesday after a long battle with illness. Despite the personal loss, Mukesh rejoined the CSK squad ahead of the Mumbai Indians clash and was included in the playing XI, placing commitment above everything else. Not only did he return to the team environment, but he also found himself in the Playing XI.Mukesh, known for his calm and composed demeanour, remained quiet as ever. Dressed in yellow, he walked out to the middle just as he has done in previous matches, showing no outward sign of grief. Ready with the new ball to open the attack, he bowled with the same intensity and struck in his very first over, taking a wicket and dedicating it, in his own way, to his mother-whom he believed was watching him from heaven and blessing him. Every step Mukesh took at the Wankhede carried weight – emotion, memories, and grief. Behind every run-up was pain, yet the pacer knew his team needed him. He returned with a strong heart, held his emotions close, and gave everything in a performance defined as much by courage as by cricket.‘I would dedicate this win to him’Chennai Super Kings cruised to a commanding 103-run victory over Mumbai Indians in front of a roaring Wankhede Stadium. Put in to bat by Mumbai Indians, CSK, powered by Sanju Samson’s unbeaten 101 off 54 balls, posted 207-6.CSK spinner Akeal Hosein then delivered a superb spell of 4-17 to bundle out Mumbai Indians, the five-time IPL champions, for 104 in 19 overs. The 104 all-out remains MI’s lowest total against CSK in IPL history, bettering their 136/8 at Dubai in 2021. It also marked MI’s heaviest defeat at Wankhede in terms of runs, surpassing the 39-run loss against RCB in 2015, while becoming CSK’s biggest win margin in IPL by runs.CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, after the win, walked up to Mukesh, embraced him as he looked emotional, exchanged a few words, and then headed for the post-match presentation. “[On Mukesh] Pretty tough on him. Hats off to him, coming in that situation it 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 during the presentation.
