The Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians, two of the league’s most successful teams, squared up in an IPL thriller Thursday night at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. MS Dhoni’s team managed to hold their composure and defeat the visiting five-time winners by 4 wickets in a match that went down to the last over.
CSK chose to bowl first, and their strategy was validated instantly as Deepak Chahar hit two wickets in his opening over, dismissing Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan for a cheap price. The Mumbai batsmen were never able to get going as Chahar (2/24) and the spin combo of Mahesh Theekshana (2/24) and Ravindra Jadeja (1/22) continued to strike often. Patient 51* under Tilak Varma’s care made sure MI recorded a strong 155/7 on the board.
In reply, CSK got off to a solid start but was soon reeling at 87/5 after a spate of wickets. When it appeared like Mumbai might pull off an unexpected victory, seasoned player MS Dhoni (28* off 13) came to the wicket to alter the course of the match. He launched an assault right away, smashing a couple of enormous sixes to cut the deficit to 17 off the last over.
The stage was set for a grandstand conclusion with the audience standing. The onerous job of bowling to a player who has built a career out of completing run chases fell to young Mumbai pacer Mukesh Choudhary.
In typical “Dhoni” fashion, Dhoni took three balls to assess the situation before smashing the fourth delivery over long-on to bring up the winning runs.
It was an appropriate way to round off an evening where the competition came and went. Fans saw why ‘Captain Cool’ is one of the most respected players to have ever graced the game for the nth time. He nearly single-handedly carried CSK across the finish line, demonstrating an unrivalled level of composure under duress.
Even though Dhoni was the shining star at the bat, Deepak Chahar’s flawless opening spell to destroy the formidable Mumbai top order also played a significant role in the outcome. In recent seasons, the swing bowler has developed a reputation for making significant breakthroughs during the powerplay.
Shivam Dube was a major contributor to Chennai too. After making a crucial 33-run cameo with the bat, the big-hitting all-rounder returned with statistics of 1/26 from his four-seam bowling overs. Dube’s performance at this level is a testament to his enormous skill, which will thrill CSK.
For Mumbai, it was deja vu as their batting unit struggled to produce a consistent score. With a resolute half-century, Tilak Varma was the shining light, while youthful wonder Dewald Brevis displayed glimmers of his enormous potential with a 22-ball 28. Nonetheless, the batting unit was still being hindered by the top-order problems.
With the ball, Mukesh Choudhary had a dismal day, scoring 0/54 in his four overs and failing to provide a thrilling last stanza at bat. Going forward, more accountability for the killings will need to be placed on individuals like Riley Meredith and Jasprit Bumrah.
Having pulled off a heist despite being in a dangerous situation during the run chase, the Super Kings will ultimately emerge victorious among the two teams. It would be unwise to count off CSK, especially with so many cunning veterans in their ranks like Dhoni and Jadeja.
A thrilling match between two elite players aiming to secure a postseason berth was presented to the Chepauk fans. We could be in for one of the most hotly contested IPL seasons in recent memory if yesterday provided any indication of what’s to come.
