Brief Scores:
Chennai Super Kings: 114/9 (20.0
Sam Curran- 52 (47) Trent Boult- 4/18
MS Dhoni-16 (16)
Mumbai Indians: 116/0 (12.2)
Ishan Kishan- 68 (37)
Quinton de Kock- 46 (37)
Ishan Kishan utilized the opportunity to bat up the order as he combined with South African Quinton de Kock to give Chennai Super Kings their first-ever 10 wicket defeat in Indian Premier League’s history. Kishan’s unbeaten 68 off 37 was, more than enough to chase down a tiny total of 115 set up by Chennai in Sharjah. But that was just the icing on the cake for the Mumbai team, as the cake was prepared by the bowlers, in particular Trent Boult.
Bowlers are meant to win few games singlehandedly in the league stage and this game was Boult’s chance to prove that right and what a way to do it. On a swinging pitch, his captain had won the toss and given him the situation for which his bowling is considered magical. Swinging the ball into the right-handers, Boult made an early impact claiming the wickets of two openers. He then took a wicket each in the next of his two spells, dismissing the only batsman to have stood out for Chennai, Sam Curran on the last bowl of the innings.
CSK captain MS Dhoni, after losing the match against the Royal Challengers Bangalore had said that he would rather lose getting all out in the 17th over than play 20 without any intent. However, even after that, there has been no intent shown by the yellow brigade in the batting department. Standing by his promise to give chances to young guys, after the last game defeat, Dhoni did play two youngsters in Jagadeeshan and Ruturaj Gaikwad. But neither of them could do anything as they went out for ducks. The rest of the batsmen, apart from Sam Curran and the tail-enders who stood with Curran, looked really clueless as one wicket fell after another to put them at 43/7 in just nine overs.
From 43/7, it was Curran only who combined with the tail in the form of Shardul Thakur and Imran Tahir to make sure that the team played the full quota of 20 overs. In the meantime, he also created an IPL record for the highest ninth-wicket partnership in the league’s history of 13 years. Curran and Tahir put on 43 runs off 31 deliveries to take Chennai out of humiliation.
The English man put on 52 of 47 balls and gave the fans - the Yellow Army at least something to cheer about.
Even after Dhoni's failure has made the people of the eastern part of the country a bit remorseful of IPL, there is someone that has kept the smaller bit younger position of that population up and kicking with joy and that is none other than Jharkhand’s own new Superstar Ishan Kishan. In this match too he shone bright and took the match away from his childhood hero’s team, hitting the bowlers right left and centre of the ground, giving them no opportunities what so ever to get even a single wicket. However there was one opportunity, a slight chance, but the catch was missed by Rururaj at mid-on.
He was flawless with the bat and is also a good bet with the bat, in place of Rishabh Pant; he could be tried for India.
The CSK bowlers looked tired demotivated as 114 never looked like a defendable total one bit. But not being able to pick even a single wicket and giving runs away at almost 10 an over to finish the match in the 13th over itself was something unacceptable.
Although the Hindi commentators during the broadcast of the match argue with the stats saying that Dhoni’s team has an outside chance of qualifying if they go on to win the rest of their three matches with handsome margins. However, that was nothing but wishful thinking on their part as on current form, the Daddies’ Army doesn’t even look like even challenging the teams like King XI Punjab, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Royal Challengers Bangalore, let alone winning handsomely.
For MI, the goal is clear, they just have to remain in the top two of the points table. For that to happen, they need to win two of their four games against Sunrisers Hyderabad, RCB Delhi Capitals, and Rajasthan Royals.
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