IPL 2025: Young spinners Noor Ahmed and Vignesh Puthur steal limelight

Dubai: The Indian Premier League’s fiercest rivalry delivered a new chapter on Sunday as Chennai Super Kings secured a thrilling four-wicket win over Mumbai Indians in their season opener. But while the two five-time champions clashed in Chennai, it was the young left-arm wrist spinners — Afghanistan’s Noor Ahmed and Kerala’s Vignesh Puthur — who stole the spotlight.

Noor, 20, dismantled Mumbai’s middle order with a four-wicket haul, including the key scalp of Suryakumar Yadav, courtesy of a lightning-fast stumping from MS Dhoni. He then removed Tilak Varma, ensuring that Mumbai never fully recovered from Khaleel Ahmed’s early strikes — including the dismissal of Rohit Sharma in the first over. Mumbai finished on a below-par 155 for nine, with Deepak Chahar’s late cameo giving them a faint glimmer of hope.

CSK looked to be cruising as skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad blazed to a 22-ball fifty. But Puthur, on debut, turned the game on its head, triggering a collapse by dismissing Gaikwad and two others in quick succession. From a commanding 78 for one, Chennai stumbled to 119 for five, bringing Mumbai back into contention.

Rachin Ravindra, however, held his nerve with an unbeaten half-century, guiding CSK home in the final over. A terrible mix-up saw Ravindra Jadeja run out with just four runs needed, but the biggest roar of the night came when Dhoni walked in to finish the job.

Playing his first match for Chennai Super Kings, Noor Ahmed was elated after his Player of the Match-winning performance.

“It feels great to play around the world, but it’s special to play for CSK,” Noor said at the presentation. “Sometimes I thought they weren’t picking me, but I focused on my bowling. My favourite wicket was Surya’s — Mahi bhai’s stumping was electric. It’s great to have him behind the stumps.”

The 24-year-old left-arm wrist spinner from Malappuram, Kerala, is making waves after his sensational debut. Signed by Mumbai Indians for ₹3 million, Puthur is yet to play senior domestic cricket, having represented Kerala only at under-14 and under-19 levels.

His journey has been unconventional — he initially bowled medium pace before shifting to spin under the guidance of local cricketer Mohammed Sherif. Puthur made a name for himself in club cricket, impressing in the Kerala Cricket League and Tamil Nadu Premier League before earning an IPL call-up.

“We were actually 15-20 runs short, but the fight the boys showed was commendable,” Mumbai’s stand-in skipper Suryakumar Yadav said post-match. “Amazing debut from Vignesh Puthur. MI is known for scouting young talent, and he has a bright future ahead.”

For Puthur and Noor, this was just the beginning. On a night dominated by IPL legends, two young spinners announced their arrival in style.