The Mumbai Indians brought Vignesh Puthur into the spotlight during their IPL 2025 opener against the Chennai Super Kings on Sunday night. This was a big moment for Vignesh as he took on the role of an Impact Substitute, and he really made his mark on the field. As a left-arm wrist spinner, he was impressive right from the start, managing to take three crucial wickets and giving the MI team a fighting chance to defend a challenging total at Chepauk.
At just 24 years old, Vignesh grabbed attention by dismissing CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, who was in great form with a quick score of 53 off just 26 balls. That was just the beginning for him. He soon followed up by getting rid of dangerous batsman Shivam Dube, who only managed 9 runs off 7 balls, and then took out Deepak Hooda, who was dismissed for just 3 runs off 5 balls. Thanks to Vignesh’s quick strikes, CSK found themselves in a tough spot, slipping from a comfortable 78 for 1 to 107 for 4 while chasing a total of 156.
Vignesh is originally from Kerala and has played in local leagues like the Kerala Cricket League and the Tamil Nadu Premier League, but this match was his first real entry into senior-level cricket. Even though CSK eventually won the match, it was a big night for Vignesh. After the game, he got the chance to meet the legendary MS Dhoni during the usual post-match handshakes. Dhoni took the time to listen to Vignesh and even gave him a pat on the shoulder, which surely meant a lot to the young spinner.
The men in 💛 take home the honours! 💪
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 23, 2025
A classic clash in Chennai ends in the favour of #CSK ✨
Scorecard ▶ https://t.co/QlMj4G7kV0#TATAIPL | #CSKvMI | @ChennaiIPL pic.twitter.com/ZGPkkmsRHe
Ravi Shastri, who was commenting during the match, noted the significance of that moment for Vignesh, saying, A pat on the shoulder for young Vignesh Puthur. I think this is something he’ll remember for a long time.
Earlier in the match, CSK won the toss and decided to bowl first. They did a great job, restricting MI to a total of 155 for 9 over 20 overs. Noor Ahmad was particularly effective, taking four wickets, which included getting rid of MI’s stand-in captain Suryakumar Yadav, along with Tilak Varma, Robin Minz, and Naman Dhir. Deepak Chahar played a crucial role in pushing MI to a somewhat competitive score with his quick-fire 28 runs off just 15 balls.
During CSK’s innings, things didn’t start well for them as their opener Rahul Tripathi was dismissed early. However, captain Ruturaj Gaikwad teamed up with Rachin Ravindra to build a strong partnership that put CSK in a good position to chase down the target. But just when it seemed like they were in control, Vignesh struck back with those three swift wickets.
Towards the end of the match, CSK faced a little challenge, losing their fifth wicket at 116 runs, but Rachin continued to shine with a solid performance, scoring 65 runs off 45 balls. Along with Ravindra Jadeja, who chipped in with 17 runs from 18 balls, they wrapped up the game in style, completing the chase with five balls still left. It was a thrilling match, but Vignesh undoubtedly stood out with his debut, leaving everyone excited for what’s next in his cricket journey.
