Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Ruturaj Gaikwad made a blazing start to IPL 2025, registering his fastest half-century in the tournament. Facing Mumbai Indians (MI) at Chepauk on March 23, Gaikwad reached his fifty in just 22 balls.
Chasing 156, Gaikwad came in at No. 3 and immediately took charge, smashing Trent Boult for consecutive boundaries before dispatching Deepak Chahar for a six over deep mid-wicket. He dominated the powerplay, scoring 42 runs—his second-highest tally in the first six overs of an IPL match—hitting eight boundaries in that phase.
The CSK skipper brought up his fifty in the seventh over, surpassing his previous fastest IPL half-century (23 balls) against Gujarat Titans in 2023. However, his innings was cut short at 53 off 26 balls (six fours, three sixes) when debutant Vignesh Puthur dismissed him in the eighth over.
