Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

IPL PHOTOS: Captain Rohit leads Mumbai to victory

Last updated on: April 29, 2018 00:18 IST

Rohit Sharma

IMAGE: Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma played a match-winning knock. Photograph: BCCI

Captain Rohit Sharma led from the front with an unbeaten half-century to help Mumbai Indians down Chennai Super Kings by eight wickets, in the Indian Premier League, in Pune, on Saturday.

Rohit stroked 56 from 33 balls as Mumbai looked completely in control of the run chase despite winning it in the final over, to register only their second victory in seven games.

Mumbai cruised to 173 for two in 19.4 overs after their bowlers had restricted CSK to 169 for five with Mitchell McClenagahan and Krunal Pandya picking up two wickets each.

Opener Evin Lewis (47 off 43) and Suryakumar Yadav (44) had laid the foundation as they added 69 runs for the opening wicket.

 

Rohit shared 59 runs with Lewis for the second wicket to keep the scoreboard ticking in the middle overs.

IMAGE: Chennai Super Kings players celebrate the wicket of Suryakumar Yadav. Photograph: BCCI

Harbhajan Singh got the breakthrough as he dismissed Suryakumar, who was brilliantly caught by Ravindra Jadeja running to his left at midwicket to take a difficult low catch.

Lewis struggled to get going at the start before he smashed two sixes off Imran Tahir to pick up 16 runs in the next over and then sent Dwayne Bravo for a boundary to take Mumbai across the 100-mark.

In the 14th over, skipper Rohit Sharma joined the party and produced a one-handed six over long-off and then followed it up with sweep six over short fine leg off Watson.

Rohit all but settled the deal, hitting medium pacer Shardul Thakur for four boundaries in the 19th over, which also helped him to race to his fifty, from just 31 balls, before Mumbai cruised to victory in the final over.

Suresh Raina

IMAGE: Suresh Raina hits out. Photograph: BCCI

Earlier, Suresh Raina blasted an unbeaten 75 from 47 balls Mumbai Indians bowlers came up with a disciplined effort to limit Chennai Super Kings to 169, in the Indian Premier League.

Raina, who had missed a couple of matches due to a calf injury, hit four sixes and six fours after Ambati Rayudu (46 off 35 balls) continued his impressive run and set the foundation for Chennai at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium.

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni also chipped in with 26 off 21 balls which was studded three boundaries and a six but Mumbai Indians bowled well in the death overs to restrict them within 170 in the end.

Mumbai Indians players celebrate the wicket of Shane Watson

IMAGE: Mumbai Indians celebrate the wicket of Shane Watson. Photograph: BCCI

Mitchell McClenaghan (2/26) and Krunal Pandya (2/32) were the pick of the bowlers for Mumbai, while Hardik Pandya (1/39) also scalped one wicket.

Put into bat, Rayudu gave CSK a flying start after starting off with a six off McClenaghan. His partner Shane Watson, however, couldn't stay long as his attemped slog sweep off leg-spinner Krunal was caught by Mayank Markande at square leg.

Raina then joined Rayudu and the duo blasted a six each to accumate 15 runs off Krunal in the fifth over to signal their intentions.

Rayudu smacked pacer Ben Cutting over long-on for a six, while Raina punched him through the covers fora  four to raise the 50-run stand for the second wicket.

Markande was next in line for Raina as he sent him for a boundary over his head before sending the ball sailing over long-on as CSK were well placed at the halfway stage on 91 for one in 10 overs.

Ambati Rayudu

IMAGE: Ambati Rayudu hits out. Photograph: BCCI

Krunal made the breakthrough as he dismissed the dangerous Rayudu when he tried to clear the ropes with a sweep shot but ended up hitting straight to Cutting at deep midwicket, in the 12th over.

Hero of CSK's last match, skipper Dhoni then joined Raina in the middle as CSK crossed the 100-mark in the 13th over bowled by Bumrah, who gave just one run.

In the 15th over, Dhoni smashed Hardik for back-to-back boundaries and then slammed Markande for an inside-out shot across the cover boundaries before depositing him over long-on.

Bumrah then came back for his second spell and Raina sent him across the short fine leg boundary and then flicked another one for another four to complete his half-century, from 34 balls.

McClenaghan checked CSK's progress with his double strike, in the 18th over. Dhoni hit a full toss straight to Evin Lewis at deep cover before Dwayne Bravo mishit the pull against McClenaghan and was caught on the off-side for a golden duck.

Raina then smashed Bumrah over deep midwicket to take CSK across the 150-mark. Sam Billing also tried to scrore big but ended up hitting straight to cutting at long-on. Eventually, Raina ended the innings with a six off the last ball off Hardik.

 

© Copyright 2024 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.