IPL 2026: Chennai keep playoff hopes alive with win against Mumbai

RUTURAJ GAIKWAD scored an unbeaten 67 as Chennai Super Kings beat Mumbai Indians by eight wickets on Saturday to stay in the playoff race.

In a match between the two sides with 10 IPL titles between them, Chennai restricted Mumbai, who chose to bat, to 159-7 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

Gaikwad and Kartik Sharma then put on an unbeaten 98-run stand to take Chennai home with 11 balls left, after the team lost its previous match.

Gaikwad led the chase while Sharma hit the winning four in his 54 as Chennai moved to sixth place in the 10-team table.

"It was about getting a good start and then one of the batters had to go deep," said Gaikwad.

"Feels good to bat till the end. I wanted to make sure to take the team to the end if I got a start."

Mumbai, who have also won the IPL five times and lost their second match to Chennai this season, are ninth with seven defeats in nine matches.

"Not the season," said Mumbai skipper Hardik Pandya. "They played better, they bowled better, they fielded better and they batted better."

Chennai lost an early wicket, but Gaikwad scored his second successive half-century to keep the chase on track.

Pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Sanju Samson, caught behind for 11, in his first over before Urvil Patel made 24 off 12 balls.

Afghanistan spinner A.M. Ghazanfar bowled Patel, while Gaikwad completed his fifty from 34 balls to guide Chennai.

Opener Ruturaj Gaikwad hit five fours and two sixes in his 48-ball innings and was named player of the match.

The bowlers set up the win as left-arm wrist spinner Noor Ahmad took two wickets, including Ryan Rickelton for 37 and Tilak Varma for five, while medium-pacer Anshul Kamboj returned figures of 3-32.

Noor finished with 2-26.

"Noor needed momentum and on wickets like this, he comes into play," said Gaikwad. "He's made adjustments and is doing well."

Naman Dhir top-scored with 57 but was dismissed by England pace bowler Jamie Overton, who took 1-23 in his four overs.