Chennai, May 2 (IANS) Chennai Super Kings rode on unbeaten half‑centuries by skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad and youngster Kartik Sharma to complete a commanding eight‑wicket win over Mumbai Indians in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 clash at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday.

A target of 160 wasn’t a massive one for CSK, and Gaikwad hit 67 not out off 48 balls, laced with five fours and two sixes, his second successive fifty. Kartik, meanwhile, registered his maiden IPL half‑century in an unbeaten 40-ball vigil, hitting four boundaries and three sixes, as CSK wrapped up the chase with 11 balls remaining.

At the age of 20 years and 6 days, Kartik became the second youngest CSK batter to score an IPL fifty after Ayush Mhatre (17y 291d). The duo rotated strike wisely and punished the loose deliveries by sending them to the boundary ropes, and kept the chase firmly under control through a 98-run stand off 75 balls for the third wicket.

Though Jasprit Bumrah and AM Ghazanfar took a scalp each, CSK were simply too composed in the chase to complete the double over MI and bring their campaign back on track. The eight‑wicket win is CSK’s biggest victory against MI in the IPL, and this is the third time they have achieved a league double over their arch‑rivals after 2014 and 2023.

Right from the word go, CSK’s chase was steady. Sanju Samson hit two boundaries and was even dropped by Ryan Rickelton before the latter took the former’s catch off Bumrah. Gaikwad settled in quickly, working through the gaps and ensuring the scoreboard kept ticking. Urvil Patel’s cameo of 24 off 12 balls, laced with two fours and as many sixes, injected momentum before being dismissed by Ghazanfar.

Kartik then joined Gaikwad, and the duo stitched together a match‑winning stand. Gaikwad’s fluency stood out as he pierced the offside field with precision, while Kartik showed maturity beyond his years by mixing caution with aggression.

Their partnership never allowed MI’s bowlers to build pressure. By the halfway mark, CSK were well ahead of the required rate, and the chase became a formality. Together, they ensured CSK crossed the line with ease in the 18th over, with MI now clearly staring at an early exit from the competition.

Brief scores:

Mumbai Indians 159/7 in 20 overs (Naman Dhir 57, Ryan Rickelton 37; Anshul Kamboj 3-32, Noor Ahmad 2-26) lost to Chennai Super Kings 160/2 in 18.1 overs (Ruturaj Gaikwad 67 not out, Kartik Sharma 54 not out; Jasprit Bumrah 1-20, AM Ghazanfar 1-40) by eight wickets

–IANS

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