‘All glory to him, we all wanted to be there for him’: CSK skipper Gaikwad hails Mukesh’s courage after personal tragedy

MUMBAI: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad lauded the team’s collective effort after their strong showing against Mumbai Indians (MI), while reserving special praise for Mukesh Choudhary, who showed immense courage and commitment by stepping up in a difficult personal situation following the passing of his mother, and delivering a valuable performance for the side.

He also lauded Samson’s “magnificent” and consistent form. Gaikwad also noted that the improving rhythm of the bowling attack and said the team is beginning to “click” as a unit, with performances steadily coming together across departments.

“[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 after the match.

“Feels good. I was still 50-50 at the toss. My gut feeling was saying we should bat first because it was a bit green but also a bit dry. We had to assess in the first couple of overs. Sanju and I said it’s not coming on nicely, so anywhere around 200 would be good. And then Akeal and Noor did well. Everyone chipped in well. Sanju also played a magnificent knock. He’s been in fantastic touch. And our bowling was improving from our earlier games. I feel we are just starting to click,” he added.

The CSK team wore black armbands as a tribute to 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.

This one is for Mukesh’s mother.
In her memory and in solidarity with Mukesh, we wear black armbands and play with a little more in our hearts today. pic.twitter.com/OKk6bmPK4e

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) April 23, 2026

Choudhary returned with impressive figures of 1/31 from his four overs, striking early by removing in-form Quinton de Kock in the second over.

CSK registered a commanding 103-run victory over MI in their IPL 2026 “El Clasico” clash at Mumbai on Thursday, powered by a sensational century from Sanju Samson and a clinical bowling performance led by Akeal Hosein.

CSK posted a formidable 207/6, riding on Samson’s fluent 101, before their bowlers dismantled MI’s batting lineup, bundling them out for just 104. The hosts never recovered from an early collapse and were eventually outclassed in all departments as CSK sealed a dominant win. With this victory, the Super Kings climbed to fifth in the IPL 2026 standings. (ANI)