IPL 2020: Ambati Rayudu, Faf du Plessis hand CSK 5-wicket win over MI in the season opener

IPL 2020: Ambati Rayudu, Faf du Plessis hand CSK 5-wicket win over MI in the season opener
Ambati Rayudu

After all the wait and excitement, the first match of IPL 2020 finally took place on Saturday. Chennai Super Kings beat Mumbai Indians by 5 wickets, thanks to a couple of sensational knocks from Ambati Rayudu and Faf du Plessis. 

In pursuit of a 163-run set by Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings didn’t start well. Their star player, Shane Watson went cheaply. Murali Vijay too followed soon as CSK were reeling at 6 for 2 in first two overs. Chennai Super Kings, at that stage, were in all sorts of trouble. However, a formidable partnership of 115-run for the third wicket between Amabati Rayudu and Faf du Plessis brought CSK back in the game. 

Ambati Rayudu’s sensational knock of 71 runs off 48 balls proved as the game-changing one for Dhoni and Co. Rayudu mixed caution with aggression and scored 6 fours and 3 sixes during the course of his innings. Faf du Plessis, who stayed till the end, played as the second fiddle to Rayudu. He scored an unbeaten 58-run knock off 44 balls. 

In a bid to keep the right-left combination, MS Dhoni surprised everyone to send Rayudu and Sam Curran ahead of him. The decision paid off as both the players played valuable cameos and made the chase a lot easier in the end.

CSK restricts Mumbai Indians to 162 in the first innings: 

Mumbai Indians openers, Quinton de Kock and Rohit Sharma gave a rollicking start to the side. MI raced to 45 in the first four overs. CSK were going for runs all over the park until MS Dhoni brought on Piyush Chawla in the 5th innings.

The leg-spinner straightway took the important wicket of Rohit Sharma. Quinton de Kock went back to the pavilion in the following over as CSK were back into the contest. 

Unexpected inclusion in the form of Saurabh Tiwari scored a valuable knock of 42 off 31, however, no other player made a valuable contribution. Ravindra Jadeja accounted for Hardik Pandya, who went back after hitting two fabulous sixes. Kieron Pollard too got out after a well made 14-ball 18. CSK successfully restricted MI to 162 in 20 overs.