Five-wicket haul by Ravindra Jadeja and Mitchell Santner followed by fastest half-century of IPL 2023 by Ajinkya Rahane sealed the deal for Chennai Super Kings in IPL Match 12 on Saturday. Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led CSK thrashed Mumbai Indians to post a second win at Wankhede Stadium on Saturday.
Although the crowd kept chanting ‘we want Dhoni’ in hope of getting Chepauk rerun in Mumbai, CSK defeated Mumbai Indians by seven wickets with 11 balls remaining. This was the second consecutive win by CSK after their victory against Lucknow Super Giants in Chennai earlier this week. Mumbai Indians looked very ordinary despite the fiery start during the power play. But once CSK spinners began their spell, there was no way MI batters could turn the game around. Wickets kept falling as MI batters struggled to read the bowl and keep the momentum going.
What could have been a competitive score of 200 or above for a team like MI, the final tally at the end of first innings read 157. During the after-match presentation, MI skipper Rohit Sharma admitted that they were at least 40 runs short of what could have been a competitive total during this El Clasico clash.
Apart from the bowling attack, Ajinkya Rahane was the revelation of the match. His blazing innings that included three sixes and seven fours made it look like a cakewalk for CSK. This was 34-year-old Rahane’s IPL debut and he enjoyed every bit of it. Punishing young bowlers such as Arshad Khan, Rahane made 61 off 27. It was Piyush Chawla who got Rahane. But the momentum kept going by batters such as Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shivam Dube.
Many think CSK could have finished the game much earlier, which would have helped them in the NRR department.
This is the second loss for Mumbai Indians after the drubbing at the hands of Royal Challengers Bangalore during their season openers. Poor show by MI batters hurt the team and skipper minced no words when he said that they have to step up the game.