Chennai Super Kings’ gamble to open with Ajinkya Rahane backfired when he fell early to Gerald Coetzee in the second over. However, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rachin Ravindra steadied the ship, pushing the score to 61 in eight overs, with Gaikwad leading the charge.
Despite Ravindra’s departure to Shreyas Gopal, Jasprit Bumrah’s quiet over was quickly forgotten as Shivam Dube faced pressure, only to retaliate with a fierce onslaught. Their partnership amassed 90 runs off just 45 balls, putting CSK in a strong position at 150/3 with five overs remaining.
But after Gaikwad’s departure post his half-century, Daryl Mitchell failed to capitalize, though MS Dhoni’s explosive cameo salvaged the innings, propelling CSK to 206/4. In response, Mumbai Indians started explosively, with Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma finding boundaries frequently, racing to 63/0 in the powerplay.
Ruturaj Gaikwad’s strategic move to introduce Matheesha Pathirana paid off instantly, as the Sri Lankan dismissed Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav in consecutive deliveries, swinging the momentum back to CSK’s favor. Rohit Sharma continued his onslaught, finding support in Tilak Varma, but Pathirana struck again, removing Varma, followed swiftly by skipper Hardik Pandya’s departure.
Rohit Sharma 👏 👏 #CSKvMI#MIvsCSK
— Junaid khan (@JunaidkhanREAL) April 14, 2024
Despite Tim David’s brief fireworks, Mustafizur Rahman and Pathirana’s timely strikes dashed Mumbai’s hopes. Rohit Sharma’s century in the final over was a remarkable feat, but it was overshadowed by CSK’s already sealed victory. Hats off to both teams for a thrilling match!