The second phase of the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League kickstarted with a bang as Chennai Super Kings put up a terrific performance against Mumbai Indians. The cricket fans were entertained with a thrilling game of cricket as the momentum swung back and forth between the two teams till the very last over of the match.
The mouth-watering contest saw the Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni winning the toss and making the choice of posting the total on the board. CSK got off to a horrendous start as they found themselves reeling at seven for three in 2.6 overs. Mumbai Indians’ decorated seam attack went all guns blazing against CSK’s feeble batting line-up.
As the wickets kept falling at the one end, it was Chennai’s young opening batsman Ruturaj Gaikwad who kept his calm. The 24-year-old played one of the finest knocks of his entire cricket career. Gaikwad proved his mettle on the 22-yard pitch by hammering 88 runs off just 58 deliveries at a strike rate of 151.
CSK acquires the top position in IPL 2021
Ravindra Jadeja and DJ Bravo applied the finishing touches to CSK’s innings by adding 26 (33) and 23 (8) runs respectively on the scoreboard. In the end, the three-time champion found themselves at a respectable score of 156 for six. For Mumbai, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, and Adam Milne picked two wickets each.
Batting in the second innings, Mumbai Indians delivered an even worse performance with the willow. The team succumbed to the pressure as most of the MI batters lost their wickets after getting a good start. Disciplined and terrific bowling by CSK managed to send Mumbai on the backfoot quite early in the match.
Just like Gaikwad, Saurabh Tiwary was the lone warrior for Mumbai Indians. The batsman showed immense potential and character by smashing a half-century. However, lack of support from other players and the pressure of the run rate resulted in the defending champions losing the game by 20 runs.
With the sensational win, CSK have now acquired the top position in the IPL 2021 standings. The team leapfrogged Delhi Capitals to become the table-toppers. MI, on the other hand, are sitting at fourth place only with four wins and four defeats.
Also Read: Watch: Saurabh Tiwary takes a stunner to dismiss Moeen Ali in CSK vs MI match
