Mumbai: Speaking exclusively on Mumbai Indians’ commanding win, JioStar expert Mark Boucher shared his thoughts on Kuhl Fans Match Centre Live on JioHotstar: “I was ecstatic with that win, it was truly one-sided. Mumbai Indians have been speaking about playing a near-perfect game, and I thought they came pretty close tonight. They bowled brilliantly and then came out with intent while batting. It shows how dangerous Suryakumar Yadav can be when the team gets off to a good start. Rohit Sharma didn’t need to score a hundred—just a solid 70-odd—and that’s exactly what he did. I’d love to see more of that- Rohit anchoring one end through the innings. It sets the stage perfectly for players like Suryakumar and Tilak to come in and play those impactful knocks.”
On Rohit Sharma’s return to form, JioStar expert Ambati Rayudu shared his perspective:”I think he took a little time to get going, but played some fantastic shots through the off-side. He wasn’t just trying to pull everything to the on-side. He has scored a lot of runs before, but today he looked hungry. He wanted to spend time in the middle and finish the game for Mumbai Indians. Knowing Rohit, he’s never too far from big knocks, and with the business end of the tournament approaching, these kinds of innings will boost not just his confidence but also of the Mumbai Indians’ dugout and management.”
Reflecting on the hype and significance of the MI vs CSK clash, Mark Boucher added:”The MI vs CSK game is always massive—not just in India, but globally. Fans travel from all over the world to witness this revenge. There’s also extra motivation for someone like Rohit, who scored a century against CSK last season. Coming into the game possibly below his own high standards, he would’ve wanted to make a statement. What stood out for me tonight was that every senior player for Mumbai Indians stepped up. It was a must-win game, and they all contributed. That’s the biggest positive MI will take away from this match.”
Commenting on Chennai Super Kings’ performance and what went wrong, Ambati Rayudu said: “It was those middle overs—around seven overs for just 35 runs—that cost them. No one plays like that anymore in T20 cricket. The game has evolved, and even during the middle overs, teams need to score at a healthy strike rate. CSK lacked intent. You can lose a game, but you have to fight. You can’t just try to coast through a phase and hope to finish strong later. That pitch needed at least 190 to be competitive, and what CSK posted wasn’t even par. It was below-par batting during the crucial middle phase.”
When asked whether CSK still has a shot at a comeback this season, Rayudu added: “I don’t see them coming back this season. Even Dhoni acknowledged that in his post-match comments—saying they’re already looking ahead to the next season. They’ll want to groom young players and build a culture of fearless, not reckless, cricket. They must play with more positive intent. Perhaps someone like Ayush Mhatre could get a full run from here on.”
Reacting to Virat Kohli’s record 67th TATA IPL 50 during the PBKS vs RCB match, Ambati Rayudu shared high praise:”It was a tailor-made situation for Virat Kohli, and he delivered brilliantly. It’s like he has a computer in his head—he knows exactly how to pace an innings. He’s phenomenal at knowing when to attack and when to rotate strike. His mindset remains consistent. He doesn’t get too high or too low before or during a game, and we witnessed another classic Kohli knock.”
