They have produced two brilliant performances in the latest fixture of the Andhra Premier League 2025.
Two youngsters of two of the most successful franchises of the Indian Premier League (IPL) have bolstered the IPL 2026 retention chances with their recent performances in the Andhra Premier League (APL) 2025. Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) opener Shaik Rasheed put up a brilliant opening knock, while Mumbai Indian’s (MI) Satyanarayana Raju struck thrice in the latest APL 2025 fixture.
CSK youngster Rasheed provided a well-articulated start to the Royals of Rayalaseema’s innings after his opening partner fell for a run-a-ball six. The 20-year-old scored 56 runs off 33 deliveries, which included nine boundaries, at a strike rate of 169.70. However, his knock at the top was the only notable one in the first innings as a tremendous bowling effort from the Bhimavaram Bulls bundled them out for 139.
Last match’s hero Pyla Avinash, who was coming on the back of a stunning 39-ball 96 against the Vijayawada Sunshiners, also failed to carry on the smashing momentum. The Punjab Kings (PBKS) player was dismissed for just 12 runs off 14 balls. But MI’s Raju led the bowling attack against the Royals with his commendable three-wicket haul while maintaining an impressive economy of 7.80.
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The Bulls easily chased the target under 16 overs to get off the mark in their maiden APL 2025 match. On the other hand, Rasheed and Co. have found themselves in a bit of trouble as they have lost both of the matches of this edition so far.
The two five-time title winners, CSK and MI, have witnessed different fortunes in the latest IPL season. The Men in Yellow struggled throughout the tournament and finished the league at the bottom of the points table, while MI bounced back from a horrible previous season and reached Qualifier 2.
However, when the regular CSK openers, Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway, failed to get going, the inclusion of two youngsters in the form of Rasheed and Ayush Mhatre at the top proved to be the game-changer for them towards the business end of the IPL 2025. Though Mhatre often lit up CSK’s scoreboard with his blistering opening knocks, the 20-year-old has also shown promise in that limited period of time. They might look to retain him while building a new and young setup before the IPL 2026.
The 26-year-old Raju also played just two matches for MI in the latest season and dismissed the star Gujarat Titans (GT) player, Rashid Khan. But his continued success in the domestic arena might push for a potential retention in MI’s squad ahead of the upcoming edition of this cash-rich league.
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