Rohit Sharma’s blazing return to form (76* off 45) and his unbroken 114-run stand off just 54 balls with Suryakumar Yadav (68* off 30) ensured a third win on the trot for Mumbai Indians as they raced to a target of 177 with nine wickets in hand and 26 deliveries to spare against Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede stadium. The win took MI to the sixth spot on the points table while CSK continued to remain in the bottom, losing their sixth game in eight outings.
CSK gains momentum for the first time in the season
Barring some early swing it appeared like a wicket conducive to strokeplay. Shaik Rasheed and Rachin Ravindra were driving the ball well but they weren’t quite able to find the gaps while the MI bowlers were also disciplined, with only 16 coming off the first three overs, with a solitary boundary. The pressure got to Rachin Ravindra who tried to force a shot but was caught-behind off Ashwani Kumar. The 17-year old debutant Ayush Mhatre finally got CSK going, slapping one past the bowler before flicking and pulling with ease for two sixes. Mhatre, an opener for Mumbai in domestic cricket, clubbed a four over Chahar’s head but an economical over from Mitchell Santner ensured CSK didn’t cross 50 in the powerplay.
Chahar, who bowled all his four overs at one go, was struck for two fours by Mhatre but the youngster’s entertaining knock (32 off 15) came to an end in the same over as he was caught at long on. Rasheed fell in the next over, out stumped off Santner. Quiet overs from Jasprit Bumrah and Will Jacks meant CSK could only get 70 at the halfway stage of the innings – the fourth time CSK managed 70 or below in the first 10 overs in this IPL. Hardik Pandya, the seventh bowling option, also started with a tight over before Shivam Dube finally struck a four off Boult, CSK’s first boundary after 29 balls. Ravindra Jadeja’s first four came via a pull off Bumrah while Dube hit a Pandya delivery over mid-wicket for his first maximum to take CSK to 100 in the 14th over. Dube also drilled one down the ground for a four and top-edged a flick for a six off Boult.
Having scored at run-a-ball for his first 19 runs, Jadeja got going with an aerial shot over cover for a four off Ashwani. Bumrah grassed an opportunity at fine leg in the same over, resulting in Dube getting a six. Dube also struck a straight six en route to a 30-ball fifty before Jadeja ended the over with a straight six as the fourth wicket pair took 24 off the over. Dube, though, fell in the next over as he flicked one straight to deep midwicket to give Bumrah his first wicket, and the bowler gave away only three runs. Santner kept Jadeja and MS Dhoni quiet in the 18th over, conceding only six. A misfield gave Jadeja a four off Bumrah before the bowler had Dhoni caught at backward square leg. Nine came off the over with Jamie Overton getting an inside edge for a four. Jadeja brought up a 34-ball fifty in a 16-run final over from Boult, which included a six and a four for the left-hander.
Mumbai announces strong comeback on the points table
Ryan Rickelton struck two fours off Khaleel Ahmed and was lucky that CSK didn’t opt for a review when he was rapped on the pads, with replays later revealing he would have been out. Rohit Sharma played a typical swivel pull for a six off Overton and a pick-up shot off Khaleel for a maximum. He also played a crisp drive through extra cover for a four off Khaleel and another boundary in the same region, although he wasn’t in complete control. R Ashwin, the Impact sub, started with a three-run over but MI regained the momentum in the next over as Rickelton and Rohit struck a six apiece in an 18-run over to bring up their team’s first 50-run opening stand this season, with Rohit also crossing 30 for the first time. Although Ashwin conceded only 6 in the last over of the powerplay, it was a good stand for MI with their scoring rate of over 10.
Jadeja struck in the seventh over to end the opening stand, having Rickelton caught at deep midwicket, and gave away only three. Rohit, who struck a six off Ashwin, nearly handed a return catch to Jadeja but it was a good over for MI with Suryakumar Yadav hitting a four and a six. Noor Ahmad bowled a tidy 10th over but Suryakumar continued to attack Jadeja, hitting another six and four in the 11th over to take MI past 100. Rohit went on to bring up a 33-ball half-century, his ninth against CSK, before Suryakumar struck a hat-trick of fours off Noor. Rohit got his fifth six when Khaleel, attempting to take a catch off Matheesha Pathirana, touched the ropes as he attempted to throw the ball in. Suryakumar then brought up a 26-ball fifty in a 16-run over off Noor, which included a six and a four for the No.3 and a boundary for Rohit.
They only needed 20 to win off the last five overs but MI’s second wicket pair decided to finish it off a lot quicker. It just took them four deliveries in the 16th over to get to the target, with Rohit hitting a six off Pathirana and Suryakumar finishing off with two more maximums. Rohit and Suryakumar combined struck 10 fours and 11 sixes as the blazing finish ensured a massive NRR boost for MI.
SCORECARD: Chennai Super Kings 176/5 in 20 overs (Ravindra Jadeja 53*, Shivam Dube 50; Jasprit Bumrah 2-25) lost to Mumbai Indians 177/1 in 15.4 overs (Rohit Sharma 76*, Suryakumar Yadav 68*; Ravindra Jadeja 1-28) by 9 wickets.
