Chennai Super Kings (ANI Photo)

Former India greats Sunil Gavaskar and Cheteshwar Pujara have lauded the fearless approach shown by young batters Ayush Mhatre and Priyansh Arya, highlighting how the new generation is redefining T20 batting with a focus on the present rather than past setbacks. Priyansh Arya set the tone for Punjab Kings’ daunting chase of 210 against Chennai Super Kings with a blistering start after being introduced as a substitute. From the outset, he took the attack to the bowlers, driving Khaleel Ahmed for a crisp boundary before launching him over midwicket for six. Despite some movement on offer, Khaleel conceded 14 runs in the opening over. Arya’s assault only intensified in the next over, as he went after Matt Henry with a sequence of 4, 6 and 4, racing to 25 off just six balls. By the time Punjab reached 50 in a staggering 3.2 overs, Arya had already smashed 27 off eight deliveries. His 39 off 11 balls, struck at a remarkable strike rate of 355, exemplified the modern T20 blueprint — maximise the PowerPlay and seize control early. Pujara was particularly impressed with Arya’s ability to read the game quickly and punish even the slightest errors. “Priyansh Arya is picking the length very early. On that pitch, whenever the ball was slightly short, he didn’t miss out and often hit it for six. We saw that against bowlers like Matt Henry and Khaleel Ahmed, he is not missing the fuller deliveries either, which means the margin for error for bowlers becomes very small. He is strong on the leg side but also comfortable on the off side, and that makes him a very difficult batter to bowl to,” Cheteshwar Pujara told ‘JioStar’. While Punjab’s batting firepower stood out, Gavaskar pointed to Chennai Super Kings’ bowling as a growing concern. “From what we’ve seen so far, CSK’s biggest concern for the rest of the tournament will be their bowling. It means they may have to consistently score around 225–230 to give their bowlers a chance. Most teams now have significant batting depth, like we saw with Punjab Kings where Marcus Stoinis came in at No. 7 and struck the ball cleanly with proper cricketing shots. With many sides batting deep, Chennai will need to get their bowling in order.” For Chennai, it was young Ayush Mhatre who provided the foundation with a fluent 73 off 43 balls, showcasing both composure and attacking intent. Reflecting on his role and temperament, Gavaskar backed him to thrive higher up the order while praising his mindset. “I believe Number 3 is a good position for Ayush Mhatre. He has batted lower down the order in the Under-19 setup, but three could suit him well. He was dismissed first ball in the previous game but showed no signs of being affected by it. That’s the beauty of the ‘Gen Next’ mindset, they don’t dwell too much on the past and focus on the present. It’s a fantastic attitude.” Together, Arya and Mhatre’s performances, coupled with the praise from two of India’s most respected voices, underline a clear shift in approach among young batters — fearless, instinctive and unburdened by past failures.

MUMBAI: The city’s century-old underground stormwater arch drains are undergoing an upgrade, with the BMC’s ongoing project using geopolymer lining trenchless technology — a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country. The work will cover 27 critical stretches of drains spanning 14.3 km in the island city, along with five years of maintenance. Civic officials said the intervention is expected to extend the lifespan of these British-era drains by at least 50 years while improving their discharge capacity during heavy rainfall.Mumbai currently has a 495-km-long network of underground stormwater arch drains in the island city. While routine desilting is carried out by the operations and maintenance wing of the storm water drains (SWD) department, recent CCTV surveys have flagged structural concerns in several sections. Officials found multiple defects, such as cracks, brick displacement, loss of mortar, and even partial collapses in parts of the ageing network.

Happening 1st time in country

A total of 56 drain components, measuring 23.5 km, were identified as being in a damaged condition. Of these, 27 components — covering 14.3km — were categorised as critical and in need of immediate rehabilitation to prevent potential collapse.To address the issue, the SWD department consulted experts from IIT Bombay and VJTI. Based on their recommendations, a technical advisory committee concluded that geopolymer lining using trenchless technology was the most suitable solution among the available options.“The technology allows internal strengthening of the drains without extensive excavation, making it less disruptive and faster to implement,” a civic official said. “Once completed, it will not only reinforce structural stability but also improve flow velocity, ensuring quicker disposal of rainwater during intense downpours.”The move comes against the backdrop of increasingly erratic and intense monsoon patterns in Mumbai, where instances of nearly 1,000mm of rainfall over a few days have been recorded in recent years, often leading to waterlogging in low-lying areas.Officials said the geopolymer lining method is environmentally friendly and widely used in countries such as the US, though this marks its first large-scale deployment in India. The project is currently underway in the city area, with civic engineers monitoring progress at key outfalls and stretches. Once completed, BMC plans to assess further phases to cover additional vulnerable sections of the drainage network.

Chennai Super Kings’ captain Ruturaj Gaikwad (PTI Photo/R Senthilkumar)

Chennai Super Kings are in unfamiliar territory. For a franchise built on consistency and calm starts, losing the first two matches of an IPL season has been a rare occurrence. In fact, it has happened only twice in their history — first in 2022 under Ravindra Jadeja and now again in IPL 2026 under Ruturaj Gaikwad. What makes the stat even more striking is that under MS Dhoni, CSK went nearly two decades without such a start, highlighting just how unusual the current situation is for the five-time champions. The latest setback came against Punjab Kings, who chased down a stiff target of 209 at Chepauk to hand CSK their second successive defeat. Led by Shreyas Iyer, Punjab executed a near-perfect chase, winning by five wickets and registering their second consecutive victory. Iyer’s 50 off 29 balls was the cornerstone of the chase, as he stitched a crucial 59-run stand with Nehal Wadhera. The chase was set up early by Priyansh Arya’s explosive 39 off just 11 balls and further stabilised by contributions from Prabhsimran Singh and Cooper Connolly, ensuring the required run rate never spiralled out of control. Earlier, CSK had put up a competitive 209 for five, thanks largely to a brilliant 73 off 43 balls from young Ayush Mhatre. The youngster dominated the Punjab attack with fearless strokeplay, finding boundaries at will and showcasing his growing confidence. He was well supported by Gaikwad, who added 28 in a 96-run stand for the second wicket. However, the innings wasn’t without setbacks. Sanju Samson fell early, edging an ambitious shot behind the wicket, and the middle overs saw a slowdown as CSK managed just 45 runs between the 10th and 15th overs.Late contributions from Sarfaraz Khan and Shivam Dube helped CSK add 64 runs in the final five overs, pushing the total past 200. But it ultimately proved insufficient against a composed Punjab batting unit. The numbers paint a deeper concern for CSK. Gaikwad is currently enduring the longest losing streak by a captain in the franchise’s history:

For a team that thrived on stability under Dhoni, these back-to-back defeats — and the extended losing run under Gaikwad — underline a phase of transition. The challenge now is not just about bouncing back in the tournament, but about rediscovering the consistency that once defined Chennai Super Kings.