Maharashtra steamrolled Baroda in their sixth-round clash in the Ranji Trophy 2025 with a Chennai Super Kings star picking up a five-wicket haul.
The Ruturaj Gaikwad-led Maharashtra registered their second win of the season when they defeated Krunal Pandya's Baroda by a massive margin of 439 runs at Golf Club Ground, Nasik on Sunday, January 26.
Defending a massive target of 617, CSK star Mukesh Choudhary picked up a five-wicket haul, while Rajneesh Gurbani and Ramakrishna Ghosh complimented him well with three wickets and two wickets each. Mukesh had figures of 5/76 in his 13 overs with four maidens in them.
Maharashtra had made 297/10 batting first with wicketkeeper Saurabh Nawale being the top-scorer for 83. Atit Sheth picked up six wickets. Baroda were then bundled out for 145 with Choudhary being the highest wicket-taker at three.
Maharashtra then piled up a mountain of runs in the second innings. Led by century from Nawale, and 89 and 99 from Gaikwad and Ramakrishna Ghosh, respectively, they put up 464/7d. Chasing a mountain, Baroda were all done for 177 with Mukesh being the hero with the ball.
Mukesh was bought back by Chennai Super Kings for IPL 2025. He was their top-wicket taker in 2022 and missed the 2023 season due to twin injuries. He played one game in 2024 and was taken for 27 runs in one over by Sunrisers Hyderabad's Abhishek Sharma and didn't play further.
However, the Super Kings showed faith in him and picked him for the 18th season of the Indian cash-rich league.
He had thanked the franchise for showing faith in him. "I was fit last year, but still, I didn’t get my match practice, so I was not a hundred per cent. But CSK has shown faith in me and brought me back this year. So, I’m really happy," he said in December last year as quoted by Sportstar.
"It’s challenging. Injury is not good. But it’s good that you start from zero and come to your best. I’m looking forward (to the upcoming IPL season). Fit and fine, raring to go," he said.