Moved down to number three as it provides more balance: CSK captain Gaikwad

“The spinners were right on point, and right after the auction, one thing we were really excited about was all three spinners bowling in tandem at Chepauk. Khaleel (pacer) is experienced, and Noor is an X-factor—that is why we wanted him in the team. Good to have Ashwin as well,” he said.

On MS Dhoni, he added, “He is fitter this year and is still looking young.”

Mumbai Indians’ stand-in skipper Suryakumar Yadav predicted a bright future for IPL debutant Vignesh Puthur, who made the game interesting with three crucial wickets.

“We were 15-20 runs short, but the fight the boys showed was commendable. MI is known for that—giving youngsters opportunities. The scouts do this for 10 months, and he (Vignesh) is a product of that,” he said.

“I kept his one over in the pocket if the game went deep, but it was a no-brainer to give him the 18th over. He has a bright future. There wasn’t any dew, but it was sticky. The way Ruturaj batted in the second innings took the game away from us,” Suryakumar added.