Willingdon pavilion

Chennai Super Kings: For a long time, a key marker for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) having a good time in the IPL has been tied to their spinners making merry with the ball. At the Arun Jaitley Stadium, where yellow easily outnumbered blue jerseys in stands, Akeal Hosein and Noor Ahmad provided for that merry making with the ball to help the five-time champions get a decisive win.

In IPL 2025, Ahmad lacked support as Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were far off from their prime. With the veteran spinners exiting CSK set-up ahead of IPL 2026, Hosein’s acquisition at the auction was the ideal way to fill in that huge void.

Hence, it’s no surprise that Hosein’s inclusion from April 11 after three early defeats has coincided with a sharp turnaround in CSK’s fortunes – the latest of which got them a clinical eight-wicket win over DC.