IPL 2023: CSK bounce back with a win over MI
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) beat Mumbai Indians in the high-octane clash of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) season at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. Veteran Indian batter Ajinkya Rahane starred with a 27-ball 61 as the Yellow Army chased down 158. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ambati Rayudu too played match-winning knocks. Earlier, Ravindra Jadeja took a brilliant three-wicket haul. Here are the key stats.
How did the match pan out?
MI had a flying start after CSK elected to field. Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan helped MI plunder 61/1 in the Powerplay. Dhoni's spin-to-win approach reduced MI to 76/5, but Tilak Varma, Tim David, and Hrithik Shokeen propelled MI to 157/8. Although CSK lost Devon Conway, Rahane made it a one-sided affair. Gaikwad and Rayudu remained unbeaten as CSK won by seven wickets (159/3).
Rahane plays a blazing knock
Indian batter Rahane made the most of the opportunity presented to him in the absence of Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali. Rahane, who came in at number three, started bashing the bowlers after his first few deliveries. Playing his first match for the Super Kings, he smashed his 29th half-century in the IPL. Rahane smashed 61 off 27 balls (7 fours, 3 sixes).
Fastest fifty of IPL 2023
Rahane brought up his half-century off 19 balls, now the fastest fifty of the ongoing season. The record was earlier held by Jos Buttler and Shardul Thakur (20 balls each). The Indian batter now has the joint-second-fastest half-century for CSK in the IPL, with Moeen Ali (in 2022). Suresh Raina holds the top spot in this regard (16 balls in 2014).
Jadeja, Santner hunt in pair
Once again, Dhoni rotated his spinners to thwart the opposition. The decision reaped dividends as Jadeja dismissed the dangerous Ishan Kishan. Meanwhile, Santner removed Suryakumar Yadav in the very next over. The plot continued as Jadeja and Santner dismissed Cameron Green and Arshad Khan, respectively. Jadeja picked his third wicket as he dismissed Tilak Verma in the 13th over.
CSK's standout performer
Jadeja turned out to be CSK's standout bowler of the match. He took three wickets for 20 runs in four overs, having recorded an economy rate of 5.00. Meanwhile, Santner and Dwaine Pretorius conceded runs at seven.
Career-best figures against MI
Jadeja has faced MI in 31 IPL clashes and owns a fairly decent record against them. He has scalped 19 wickets at 33.52. Notably, he recorded his best figures against MI tonight (3/20). Overall, Jadeja has scalped 136 wickets in 213 IPL matches at 30.33. His IPL career economy is 7.59. He has also slammed 2,506 runs at 26.10 while striking at 127.27.
Rohit Sharma completes 5,000 runs for Mumbai Indians
Rohit, who has been undergoing a rough patch, struggled tonight too. He slammed a 13-ball 21, a knock laced with 3 fours and a solitary six. However, he managed to unlock a massive achievement. Rohit has become the first player to score 5,000 runs for MI. Virat Kohli (RCB) and Suresh Raina (CSK) are the only players with over 5,000 runs for a team.
