IPL 2021: CSK vs MI Review – Ruturaj Gaikwad, CSK bowlers secure miraculous victory

Chennai Super Kings got their revenge from the first leg of the IPL 2021 as they defeated their arch-rivals, Mumbai Indians. In the opening game of the second phase in the UAE, CSK overcame the threat of the defending champions on a slightly slow pitch at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Chennai batted first but lost a flurry of wickets early on. Mumbai Indians didn’t have Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya. They also added Adam Milne to their XI, a move that paid off instantly. Along with his countryman Trent Boult, Milne reduced CSK to 24 for 4 inside the powerplay, with the two bowlers picking up two wickets each. Ambati Rayudu got retired hurt and didn’t bat after facing only three balls.

Ruturaj Gaikwad then formed a partnership with Ravindra Jadeja (26 runs) which pushed CSK to 105 for 5. With 20 balls left in the innings, DJ Bravo played an 8-ball 23 run cameo which helped CSK to get to a good total. Gaikwad stayed unbeaten for 88 runs from 58 balls, as Chenani made 156 for 6.

Mumbai Indians’ innings never got a move on as CSK kept chipping in with wickets. Deepak Chahar picked up two wickets early while Josh Hazlewood and Shardul Thakur also picked up a wicket each. DJ Bravo bowled four overs for three wickets conceding only 24 runs. Saurabh Tiwary scored a fifty, but that was not enough, as Mumbai fell short by a margin of 19 runs.

Top performers:

Ruturaj Gaikwad: The CSK opener saw five of his batting partners walk out of the park, four of whom were dismissed. However, he kept his cool on the other end and started moving along well. Towards the last few overs, he upped his strike rate during his 58-ball knock. He hit nine four and four sixes, one of which came off the last ball of the innings.

Deepak Chahar: The Chennai Super Kings did exactly what he is known for doing. He picked up two wickets inside the powerplay. He removed Quinton de Kock, who has been in good touch in recent times. He then deceived Anmolpreet Singh with a knuckle. Chahar had a bit of a niggle but with Dhoni insisting finished his spell of four overs, giving just 19 runs.

Personal achievements/records:

• 6th time Ruturaj Gaikwad scored a fifty for CSK, all six times CSK have won the match.
• It was the first time Saurabh Tiwary scored a 50+ score in an IPL match since 2017.
• Players to get retired hurt on 0* in IPL- Dominic Thornley in 2008, Kevin Pietersen in 2016, Shikhar Dhawan in 2018, Ambati Rayudu today

Way ahead:

CSK’s next match will be against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Sharjah on September 24. Mumbai Indians will face Kolkata Knight Riders on September 23 in Abu Dhabi.