What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
MUMBAI: Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Thursday turned the clock back and unleashed a miraculous innings to help Chennai Super Kings seal a three-wicket win against Mumbai Indians in match 33 of the Indian Premier League 2022.
Chasing 156, Chennai needed 16 runs off the last 4 balls when Dhoni once again came to the crease. Dhoni launched pacer Jaydev Unadkat into the stands on the 3rd balls and followed it up with a boundary on the next ball. On the last ball of the innings, Chennai required four runs and Dhoni held his nerve and whipped the low full-toss to the fine-leg to finish the match.
This is Mumbai’s seventh defeat on the trot in the tournament.
Earlier, Chennai won the toss and elected to bowl. Mumbai openers – Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan – once again failed miserably as they both were dismissed for duck in the first over by Mukesh Choudhary. Dewald Brevis also fell for just 4. Suryakumar Yadav uncorked an array of sparkling shots but couldn’t convert his breezy cameo into an innings of substance. At 47-4, Mumbai were in dire straits.
Left-hander Tilak Varma and youngster Hrithik Shokeen added 38 runs for the fifth wicket to lift Mumbai out of gloom. After Shokeen was nipped out, Varma continued to hold the innings and exhibited creditable composure. Kieron Pollard and Unadkat played some big shots in the end as Mumbai made 155-7 in 20 overs.
Chennai innings also started on a shaky note as Ruturaj Gaikwad and Mitchell Santner were prised out early. Robin Uthappa and Ambati Rayudu stabilised the innings by cobbing up a 50-run partnership for the third wicket. But after their stand, wickets fell in a heap and Chennai were reduced to 106-6.
Dwaine Pretorius and Dhoni joined forces to add brisk runs and took Chennai to the cusp of a win. Then in the last over, Dhoni once again sealed the match for the team and cemented his reputation as the best finisher in cricket.
“In the end it was a great fight from us. We were in the game after not batting well, but the bowlers kept us in the match. In the end you know how towering MSD can be and he took them home. If you lose quick wickets, you’ll always be playing the catching game. But I thought we did well to keep them under pressure until the last over, but Pretorius and Dhoni took them home,” Mumbai captain Rohit said after the match.
Chennai skipper Ravindra Jadeja heaped praise on Dhoni and hailed him as a great finisher. “We were very tense about the way the game was going. But the great finisher of the game was still there, so we knew we had a chance. He’s still here and doing it for us,” he said.
