Highlights, IPL 2021, CSK vs MI Full Cricket Score: Chennai win by 20 runs to go top of table

**Ruturaj Gaikwad, PoM: “**One of my top innings until now, given the pressure we were under. I had to grind it out, bat 10-12 overs, give myself time and then slowly 140-150 was possible. Mahi bhai, and everyone in the CSK management, once they back you, they don’t make you think anything but positive things. The Sri Lanka tour and preparation coming here helped a lot.”

CSK captain MS Dhoni:

“At 30/4, you want to put up something respectable on the board and Ruturaj and Bravo got us more than what we expected. To end up with close to 160, it was a tremendous effort. The wicket was two-paced, slightly slow to start off. Also it’s difficult if you’re batting lower down, if you don’t get a chance to see what is happening, you want to go hard. Rayudu got injured, so it was tough to come back from there but we batted sensibly and finished superbly. It was sensible for one batter to bat right through to the end.”

Ruturaj Gaikwad is the Player of the Match for his unbeaten 88.

Dwayne Bravo: “To start our campaign with a win is a very good feeling. Batting is very important, now I bat lower down the order with a batting line-up like CSK, but it’s about trying to win key moments, capitalise on the 12 balls I get. Or if there’s 11 overs left, adjust and adapt. It’s about keeping my shape, adjusting. Ruturaj batted really well, he’s a quality player.”

MI captain Kieron Pollard:

“Ruturaj batted really well. We didn’t finish off well with the ball. Losing by 20 runs you know those were the extra runs we conceded. Surface was good, new ball had movement, our seamers got early wickets. But we wanted to continue that momentum all the way. Even though they got 150-plus, as a batting team we could’ve gotten that. Losing three wickets was a cardinal sin for us.”

Top of table now! 

.@ChennaiIPL WIN by 20 runs and have added 2 more points to their tally.#VIVOIPL #CSKvMI pic.twitter.com/qVh9ZfwB2E

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) September 19, 2021

Excellent win for CSK! 

Superb defence by #CSK of fairly modest score on plumb pitch. Gaikwad’s brilliant knock gave his team hope, which Dhoni exploited with shrewd bowling changes and field placements. Without Rohit and Hardik, MI clearly vulnerable. Win puts CSK top of table. #Gaikwad my MoM for sure

— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) September 19, 2021

CSK win the match by 20 runs. Three singles and two wickets in the final over for Bravo. CSK got off to a bad start with the bat but then Ruturaj Gaikwad played a blinder to give his team a chance. Chasing 157, Mumbai kept losing wickets at regular intervals of time and fell short at the end. A typical CSK bowling performance led superbly by their talisman MS Dhoni.

That’s it!

CSK win the match by 20 runs. Three singles and two wickets in the final over for Bravo.

Another wicket for Bravo in the final over. 

Rahul Chahar hits this one straight to Raina at mid-wicket. Rahul Chahar c Raina b Dwayne Bravo 0(1)

Milne goes for the big shot against Bravo. Gets the connection but it is straight to the fielder at deep midwicket. Milne c (sub)Gowtham b Dwayne Bravo 15(15)

After 19 overs,Mumbai Indians 133/6 ( Saurabh Tiwary 48 , Adam Milne 15)

Mumbai needed a big over and they have got runs. After the five balls, Shardul ends up bowling two wides but he finishes with a dot ball. 15 runs off this one but so they need 24 runs in the final over. Looks very tough but anything can happen.

Slower ball, Milne picks it and sends over long-off. A much-needed six for Mumbai Indians.

Overpitched and it’s wide by Shardul. Saurabh smacks it through extra-cover. Good start to the over.

After 18 overs,Mumbai Indians 118/6 ( Saurabh Tiwary 43 , Adam Milne 7)

Deepak Chahar has the ball. Looks like he has pulled his hamstring as he runs to bowl his first ball. He’s in discomfort but he’ll finish the over. There’s a catching chance against Saurabh who tries a ramp shot but loft it into the air. Dhoni and Bravo both go for it but they end up making a mess of it. Looks like both players called for it neither heard the calls. 39 needed from 12 balls.

Saurabh whacks it in front of the wickets. Long-off fielder has no chance.

After 17 overs,Mumbai Indians 108/6 ( Saurabh Tiwary 35 , Adam Milne 5)

Hazlewood bowls his last over. Saurabh slices as the ball runs towards deep point for one run. Milne then tries to pull a back of a length delivery, doesn’t get the timing right as the ball falls in no man’s land.  Saurabh also tries to play a big shot but the ball bounces a couple of times before reaching the long-on fielder. Just four off the over and the pacer finishes his quota with figures of 1/34.

After 16 overs,Mumbai Indians 104/6 ( Saurabh Tiwary 33 , Adam Milne 3)

Bravo starts off with a slower ball, Milne pushes it down towards extra cover for a single. Saurabh takes a double and then gives the strike back to Milne. Bravo then bowls a yorker to an advancing Milne who dugs it out to take one run. Another blockhole delivery for no run to end the over. Seven off this one.

After 15 overs,Mumbai Indians 97/6 ( Saurabh Tiwary 29 , Adam Milne 1)

Adam Milne is the new batsman after the fall of sixth wicket. It could’ve been a risk giving Moeen the ball at this moment but he does well and CSK also sent back Krunal. The required run-rate is 12. Saurabh and the lower-order have to play a blinder now if Mumbai has to win the match from this position.

Run-out! 

Another one bites the dust. Krunal Pandya wanted a quick single but Saurabh sends him back. He’s well short as Bravo and Dhoni combine complete the dismissal. Krunal Pandya run out (Dwayne Bravo/Dhoni)

Kohli to leave RCB captaincy! 

Virat Kohli to step down from RCB captaincy after #IPL2021

“This will be my last IPL as captain of RCB. I’ll continue to be an RCB player till I play my last IPL game. I thank all the RCB fans for believing in me and supporting me.”: Virat Kohli#PlayBold #WeAreChallengers pic.twitter.com/QSIdCT8QQM

— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) September 19, 2021

After 14 overs,Mumbai Indians 91/5 ( Saurabh Tiwary 26 , Krunal Pandya 2)

Krunal Pandya is the new batsman and he’s off the mark with a single. CSK have the advantage now. Mumbai need 66 runs from 36 balls with Pollard back in the pavilion. Both Krunal and Saurabh can hit the ball big but let’s see how pressure plays a role here. Just four off the over.

What a ball! 

Hazlewood traps Pollard in front of the wickets and this looks very close. Umpire says yes and CSK celebrate a big, big wicket. Pollard takes the review but it’s futile. There’s no doubt about this one. It’s plumb. Pollard lbw b Hazlewood 15(14)

After 13 overs,Mumbai Indians 87/4 ( Saurabh Tiwary 24 , Kieron Pollard (C) 15)

Shardul into the attack. Starts off by bowling on the pads as Pollard gets off strike with a single. Pollard then pushes one down to cover and takes off to complete a quick run. Five singles from this over so a good return by Shardul.

After 12 overs,Mumbai Indians 82/4 ( Saurabh Tiwary 22 , Kieron Pollard (C) 12)

Bravo vs Pollard could be a fascinating contest. National teammates who play for arch-rivals in the IPL. Both players have won many games over the years for their respective franchises. Let’s see who’ll taste a win tonight. Seven off the over. Mumbai need 75 runs off 48 deliveries.

Saurabh picks up the slower ball from Bravo and places it in the gap on the off-side.

After 11 overs,Mumbai Indians 75/4 ( Saurabh Tiwary 17 , Kieron Pollard (C) 11)

Jadeja takes the ball and gives away a boundary off the first ball. Too much power on that shot from Saurabh Tiwary. Then Pollard showcases his power by hitting one towards the stands. Costly over from Jadeja as he concedes 13 runs.

Wow! 

Pollard picks up the straight ball and sends it over deep mid-wicket. Power written all over this one.

Saurabh smashes this one against Jadeja down the ground for a boundary.

After 10 overs,Mumbai Indians 62/4 ( Saurabh Tiwary 11 , Kieron Pollard (C) 4)

The skipper Kieron Pollard is new batsman after Ishan’s dismissal. Bravo squares him up with a superb ball which moves slightly away after pitching. He ends the over with a boundary as Pollard gets off the mark. 95 runs needed from 60 balls.

Bravo offers width to Pollard who says thank you with a boundary. Crunched through covers.

Bravo strikes! 

Full and wide, Ishan hits it straight to the fielder at cover. Poor shot and no wonder he’s disappointed. Ishan Kishan c Raina b Dwayne Bravo 11(10)

Slower ball from Bravo, Ishan gets a big inside edge and it reaches the boundary.

After 9 overs,Mumbai Indians 54/3 ( Ishan Kishan 7 , Saurabh Tiwary 11)

Moeen continues. Ishan comes down the ground and lofts it towards long-on but it lands safely as the batsmen take a single. He then plays a sweep, trying to pierce the gap between long-on and deep mid-wicket but finds the fielder so just one run. Six singles in the over and timeout taken.

After 8 overs,Mumbai Indians 48/3 ( Ishan Kishan 4 , Saurabh Tiwary 8)

Shardul Thakur continues. Saurabh goes for the drive against a short of length ball but gets beaten. Shardul then bowls a bouncer, Saurabh pulls as the ball reaches the fielder at fine-leg on one bounce. Two dots, three singles and one more dot to end the over.

How good is DC! 

That roar from Deepak Chahar! How good he is inside PP overs. 42 wickets for him inside PP overs - most by any bowler since 2015. Deepak made his IPL debut in 2016. #MIvCSK

— Umang Pabari (@UPStatsman) September 19, 2021

After 7 overs,Mumbai Indians 45/3 ( Ishan Kishan 3 , Saurabh Tiwary 6)

Spinner Moeen Ali is introduced into the attack. The field is spread so Ishan and Saurabh are happy to deal the over in singles. Just four from this one. Mumbai Indians need 112 runs in 78 balls.

After 6 overs,Mumbai Indians 41/3 ( Ishan Kishan 1 , Saurabh Tiwary 4)

Trent Boult and Adam Milne did it for Mumbai in the powerplay and now, Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur provided key breakthroughs for CSK in the second innings powerplay. Three big wickets down for Mumbai so they are in a spot of bother.

Saurabh Tiwary is off the mark with a boundary. Timing on his off-drive is really good.

Shardul Thakur removes Suryakumar Yadav! 

The batsman tries to go over the covers, the ball hits the toe end of the bat and rises up. Faf completes a good catch. Anmolpreet Singh b Chahar 16(14)

After 5 overs,Mumbai Indians 35/2 ( Suryakumar Yadav 2 , )

Deepak Chahar pitches it up, Suryakumar plays a lovely drive straight down the ground but Faf du Plessis pulls off a good dive to his right and saves three runs. Chahar then bowls a nice bouncer to Anmolpreet who tries to play the pull but is beaten on the pace. A superb change of pace in the final delivery which results in Anmolpreet’s dismissal. Just one run and a wicket in this over.

Chahar strikes again! 

Knuckle ball, Anmolpreet tries a slog but misses. The stumps are disturbed. Anmolpreet Singh b Chahar 16(14)

After 4 overs,Mumbai Indians 34/1 ( Anmolpreet Singh 16 , Suryakumar Yadav 1)

Anmolpreet shows how good he is when the ball comes on to his pads but also displays his off-side prowess. Not enough room but the batsman times his drive to perfection as he ends the over with a four. Costly over by Hazlewood as he concedes 14 runs.

More runs for Anmolpreet. He punches through cover for a boundary off Hazlewood.

Similar shot by Anmolpreet but this time he clears the rope. A maximum!

Straight ball by Hazlewood, Anmolpreet flicks it in the air and it’s in the gap.

After 3 overs,Mumbai Indians 20/1 ( Anmolpreet Singh 2 , Suryakumar Yadav 1)

Quinton de Kock was looking good but he missed a straight delivery from Deepak Chahar and it resulted in his dismissal. MSD was very confident and so was Chahar who didn’t even look back at the umpire during the appeal. Suryakumar Yadav is off the mark with a single down the leg-side.

Good review! 

Dhoni
Reviews
Sharply@msdhoni makes a call as sober as a judge..#MIvCSK #IPL2O21 @ChennaiIPL

— Woorkeri Raman aka WV (@wvraman) September 19, 2021

Too good! 

Drs= Dhoni review system, too good! #CSKvsMI

— Kris Srikkanth (@KrisSrikkanth) September 19, 2021

Deepak Chahar gets the breakthrough! 

The ball is on the pads as De Kock misses his flick. Huge appeal but the umpire says no. MSD takes the review and it’s the right call by CSK. All three reds in hawkeye! de Kock lbw b Chahar 17(12)

Well played! This time De Kock drives through mid-on and finds the gap.

After 2 overs,Mumbai Indians 14/0 ( Quinton de Kock (W) 13 , Anmolpreet Singh 1)

Josh Hazlewood has the ball. Anmolpreet is off the mark with a single down the third man. After the boundary, De Kock slogs a good length ball, Gaikwad at mid-wicket jumps for the catch but can’t hold on to the ball. It’s a tough one but should take that. A four and a single to end the over.

Hazlewood overpitches and gets the treatment. De Kock clears the mid-off fielder.

First boundary for Mumbai. De Kock moves across and slaps it through fine-leg region. Good execution!

After 1 overs,Mumbai Indians 2/0 ( Quinton de Kock (W) 2 , Anmolpreet Singh 0)

Chahar starts off with a good length ball, outside off. De Kock knocks it to cover. In the next ball, De Kock is offered width but the batsman can’t beat the fielder at cover. He’s off the mark with a double down the square-leg. The fifth ball is overpitched and wide, De Kock slices but misses his hit as Dhoni takes it on the bounce. A dot to end the over so two runs from this one.

No Rohit Sharma today so Anmolpreet Singh partners Quinton de Kock at the top. A left-right combination for Mumbai Indians. De Kock takes strike against Deepak Chahar.

After 20 overs,Chennai Super Kings 156/6 ( Ruturaj Gaikwad 88 , Shardul Thakur 1)

CSK need 157 to win! 

Boult over has jolted MI. Bumrah starts with a wide outside off. Two runs for Bravo then before the CSK batsman gets out trying to play a cover drive over the circle. Extra bounce helped Bumrah as Krunal took the catch at covers. Gaikwad gets the strike and a four with a cover drive. A leg bye, a single and Gaikwad finishes with a sweep six over backward square leg. What an innings by Gaikwad. 15 from the last over.

Another brilliant shot to end the innings. Fuller delivery has been swept over backward square leg by Gaikwad.

Beautiful shot! Fuller delivery outside off from Burmah and Gaikwad gets onto one knee to play an excellent drive on off.

OUT! Dwayne Bravo c Krunal Pandya b Bumrah 23(8)

Bravo is out but he has given CSK the required push towards the end of innings. He was trying for another inside-out lofty drive over covers but there was extra bounce and he got caught at cover region.

After 19 overs,Chennai Super Kings 141/5 ( Ruturaj Gaikwad 78 , Dwayne Bravo 21)

Boult finishes with a 24-run over. Bad bowling and CSK get three sixes. First ball was a full toss and Gaikwad swept it for a four. He then took a single followed by two sixes for Bravo. The First one was an inside-out slog over longoff while the second was a result of a pull shot to midwicket. Gaikwad gets the strike and smashes the full toss over cow corner.

Bad bad bowling, Boult. A harmless waist high full toss and Gaikwad cracks it over midwicket.

Boult with a short ball and Bravo had enough time to get back and slap it in front of the wicket.

Another one of those inside-out shot. Length ball and Boult has been punished with a six.

Boult missed the yorker mark and Gaikwad sweeps this to the deep square leg fence. What a shot!

After 18 overs,Chennai Super Kings 117/5 ( Ruturaj Gaikwad 67 , Dwayne Bravo 8)

Milne now into attack. The yorker is kept out by Bravo for single to midwicket. Gaikwad gets a dot ball as he fails to time his cut shot. Three singles and it was looking like a good over before Bravo finished it with a boundary over longoff. A very fine inside-out lofty drive over covers.

FOUR! Excellent shot. Typical Bravo one too. Inside-out drive over covers for a boundary.

After 17 overs,Chennai Super Kings 107/5 ( Ruturaj Gaikwad 65 , Dwayne Bravo 0)

Burmah begins with a dot ball. Next one is a slower delivery that Gaikwad flat bats down the ground nonchalantly for a six. Gets off the strike with a cut to point and then MI get the wicket of Jadeja. He was trying to log the round the wicket delivery on leg but was early into his shot and sliced it to longoff fielder. Dwayne Bravo is the new batsman. Two on the last ball for Gaikwad.

First wicket for Bumrah! Jadeja c Pollard b Bumrah 26(33) 

Jadeja wanted to smash it towards midwicket but the delivery stopped on him a little as the slice was taken at longoff.

After 16 overs,Chennai Super Kings 98/4 ( Ruturaj Gaikwad 56 , Ravindra Jadeja 26)

Pollard bowls after the break. Gaikwad pushes the first one to point for single. Jadeja returns the strike with one run to covers. Gaikwad gets to his fifty with pull shot boundary. Crucial innings by the young opener. He gets another four as he drills down a short ball to the straight boundary. Single on the last ball. 11 from the over.

FOUR! Poor bowling by Pollard. Short and wide. Gaikwad slaps it down the ground.

Excellent shot! Gaikwad gets to the milestone with a cracking pull shot. The timing on the shot was awesome. Excellent innings this.

After 15 overs,Chennai Super Kings 87/4 ( Ruturaj Gaikwad 46 , Ravindra Jadeja 25)

Chahar to bowl out. A soft lbw appeal against Jadeja on the first ball who got struck trying to sweep but it was turned down. A double with a push to wide of long on. Another double this time with a leading edge to point. Jadeja wanted to play on leg but it was a googly. Two more singles in the over. Six from the over. Second strategic break taken.

After 14 overs, CSK 81/4

Finally, we have Bumrah with the ball now. Gaikwad comes down for a shot to cover, but the edge gets him a single to third man area. Dot ball to Jadeja who collects a double after this with a flick to square leg. More runs for him. This time another double with a glance to cow corner. Suryakumar collects the cut shot from Jadeja at the backward point on the fifth ball. Bumrah bowls a wide before closing the over with a single. Six from the over.

After 13 overs,Chennai Super Kings 74/4 ( Ruturaj Gaikwad 44 , Ravindra Jadeja 15)

Chahar continues. 50 partnership up between Gaikwad and Jadeja. MI have lost the momentum now. Eigth from the over with a four for Gaikwad. He shimmied down, made some room and slapped the ball through covers. Good batting.

FOUR! Gaikwad got down the track, toward leg side, made room for himself and cut this past the fielder on off.

After 12 overs,Chennai Super Kings 66/4 ( Ruturaj Gaikwad 37 , Ravindra Jadeja 14)

Krunal again. Jadeja cuts the good length ball for a single, Gaikawad gets a maximum on the next ball with a shot down the ground. Pure and classy. A wide ball, a single and then Jadeja gets a boundary with a cut shot past the short third man area. Gaikwad gets the strike back and adds a boundary with a reverse sweep over the short third man. CSK are enjoying spin bowling.

FOUR! Confident shot this by Gaikwad. A reverse sweep and it goes over the circle for a four to the third man area.

Easy one this for Jadeja. Third man is inside the circle but the ball was wide of off that the batsman cut away to get the boundary.

First SIX of this restart! Classy shot. Gaikwad dances down against Krunal and launches this down the ground.

After 11 overs, CSK 48/4

Chahar continues. Pull shot on the first ball by Gaikwad for a double. Dot ball and then a drive to longoff for a single. Two dot balls to Jadeja who flicks the last ball off pads for one more run. Four off the over.

After 10 overs,Chennai Super Kings 44/4 ( Ruturaj Gaikwad 23 , Ravindra Jadeja 7)

Krunal Pandya time now. Single of the first ball for Jadeja. A top edge on the sweep shot for Gaikwad but it falls in no man’s land. The batsman takes two runs and then a single with a flick shot. CSK collect four as a wide ball runs down to the fine leg. One from extra and three from running. Another flick by Gaikwad gets him another single.

After 9 overs,Chennai Super Kings 35/4 ( Ruturaj Gaikwad 19 , Ravindra Jadeja 6)

Spin time now. Rahul Chahar who will be playing in the T20 World Cup starts off with a dot ball. Gaikwad cuts the next ball to deep point for a single. Two for Jadeja with a flick to midwicket. A single after this with a push to longon.  Dot ball and then De Kock puts down a chance. Thick edge as Gaikwad tries a cut but De Kock fails to grab it. Strategic break taken.

After 8 overs,Chennai Super Kings 31/4 ( Ruturaj Gaikwad 18 , Ravindra Jadeja 3)

Kieron Pollard is into the attack now. The first ball is knocked to point for Gaikwad for a single. A wide ball and then the shorter one is sliced on off for a single by Jadeja. Dot ball to Gaikwad who cuts the next one for a single. Two more dot balls of which one kept really low.

After 7 overs,Chennai Super Kings 27/4 ( Ruturaj Gaikwad 16 , Ravindra Jadeja 2)

Jasprit Bumrah has now been introduced into the attack by MI. The fuller ball is guided to the third man on the first ball by Gaikwad for a single. New batsman Ravindra Jadeja pushes one to covers for a double. Four dot ball after this.

After 6 overs,Chennai Super Kings 24/4 ( Ruturaj Gaikwad 15 , )

Dhoni departs in this over!

Milne continues. The first ball slants down the leg, hits Dhoni on pads and there’s a half-hearted appeal that has been turned down. Dhoni takes a single on the next ball with a shot to midwicket. Gaikwad adds a four with a flick to cow corner. Takes a dingle with a cut to the third man. And then on last ball, CSK lose Dhoni. A poorly executed pull shot leads to his dismissal. He found the fielder at deep square leg with a straight shot.

CSK LOSE DHONI! 

 Dhoni c Boult b Milne 3(5)

This is too easy for MI. Milne pitched it in short. There was a fielder in the dee and still, Dhoni went for a slap shot that went straight into the hands of deep square leg fielder. MI on top here.

FOUR! Good shot by Gaikwad. Fuller delivery from Milne and the opener flicks it with great timing on the leg to find a boundary.

After 5 overs,Chennai Super Kings 18/3 ( Ruturaj Gaikwad 10 , MS Dhoni (C) (W) 2)

Boult continues. Dhoni takes a single on the first ball with a push to covers. Gaikwad gives him back the strike and MS adds another single with a pull shot. A dot ball and then a four for Gaikwad. He shimmied down but the edge helped him beat the keeper for a boundary. Dot ball to end the over.

Another edge and four! No slips in place. Gaikaward charges down against Boult and ends up edging the offside ball to third man fence.

After 4 overs,Chennai Super Kings 11/3 ( Ruturaj Gaikwad 5 , MS Dhoni (C) (W) 0)

First over in this match without a wicket. Milne finishes after giving away a boundary. Gaikwad got the four with a pull shot to deep square leg. MS Dhoni is at the crease. Big build-up job for him.

Pull shot! Short ball by Milne and Gaikaward swivel pulls it to deep square leg.

After 4 overs, CSK 7/3

MI could not have asked for a better start. They have three wickets already and Rayudu has gone back after hurting himself. He was struck by a short ball in Milne’s over and after some treatment walked back to the dugout. Raina came in. He looked tentative. Got a boundary to the third man with a top edge but lost his wicket by slicing a fuller delivery to point.

OUT! What is happening! 

Raina c Rahul Chahar b Boult 4(6) 

Bad looking dismissal. Full and swinging away ball. Raina backed away for a swing over the covers but ended up slicing it to point. Also, some wood came off the bat after the connect.

Edge and four! Short ball from Boult. Raina got his front foot away for a hoick through the leg side but the top edge took the ball to third man fence.

Ambati Rayudu came in after Moeen Ali got out but he got hurt trying to fend off a short ball from Milne and is leaving the field now. Suresh Raina comes in.

After 2 overs, CSK 3/2

Adam Milne bowls the next over.

What a start this for MI! Two wickets in two overs. A single on the first ball for Gaikwad. One dot ball and then Moeen Ali gets out trying to slap a short ball through covers. Soft dismissal as Saurabh Tiwary takes the catch. One leg bye to end the over.

Another wicket! Moeen Ali c Saurabh Tiwary b Milne 0(3)

Such a soft dismissal. Short, wide ball and this has been hit straight to Tiwary at cover. The fielder dives forward and takes the catch. CSK in trouble already.

After 1 over, CSK 1/1

Brilliant start for MI! Boult’s first ball tailed in and was defended by Gaikwad. Next ball struck the batsman on the pads and CSK got a single. Two dot balls to Faf and then he departs, Edging one to gully. Harmless short ball and Faf pushes hard to get dismissed. Dot ball to end the over.

OUT! Faf falls in first over.

du Plessis c Milne b Boult 0(3)

Gone! Boult strikes in first over. This is expected from this pacer. Short ball ouside off, Faf throws his bat and ends up edging it to the gully. What a start for MI!

Time for the biggest T20 league in the world! Ruturaj Gaikwad is on strike for CSK. Faf du Plessis is his partner. Trent Boult will bowl the first over for Mumbai.

We are minutes away from the action! IPL 2021 is back! MS Dhoni is back on our screens. CSK will be batting first. Whoever wins today will go top of table. The openers are walking in…

CSK in IPL 2021 so far…

CSK vs DC, 10 April — Lost by 7 wickets

CSK vs PBKS, 16 April — Won by 6 wickets

CSK vs RR, 19 April — Won by 45 runs

CSK vs KKR, 21 April — Won 18 runs

CSK vs RCB, 25 April — Won by 69 runs

CSK vs SRH, 28 April — Won by 7 wickets

CSK vs MI, 1 May — Lost by 4 wickets

MI in IPL 2021 so far…

MI vs RCB, 9 April — Lost by 2 wickets

MI vs KKR, 13 April — Won by 10 runs

MI vs SRH, 17 April — Won by 13 runs 

MI vs DC, 20 April — Lost by 6 wickets

MI vs PBKS, 23 April — Lost by 9 wickets

RR vs MI, 29 April — Won by 7 wickets

CSK vs MI, 1 May — Won by 4 wickets

Mumbai Indians playing XI: Quinton de Kock, Ishan Kishan(w), Suryakumar Yadav, Anmolpreet Singh, Kieron Pollard(c), Saurabh Tiwary, Krunal Pandya, Adam Milne, Rahul Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult

Chennai Super Kings playing XI: Faf du Plessis, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Moeen Ali, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni(w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Josh Hazlewood

Update: Hardik Pandya is also not playing for Mumbai Indians. Batsman Anmolpreet Singh will be making his debut for the franchise.

**Dhoni: “**Looks like a good wicket. Think setting a target will be a better option. We will try to do the basics right and focus on the process.”

Pollard on Rohit’s injury: “Rohit will be okay. We will see him sooner rather than later. I am standing today for him. Let’s see what happens.”

“We will bat first.”

TOSS NEWS: MS Dhoni wins toss and CSK will be batting first in Dubai against Mumbai.

Big news! Rohit Sharma will be missing the match today. Kieron Pollard will captain Mumbai today against Chennai.

Pitch report: “A hard pitch and conditions are really hot. This is a good wicket to bat. The fast bowlers picked most of the wickets on this track last season. Chasing can be a good option,” says Kevin Pietersen.

IPL 2021 second leg schedule

30 matches will be played n the second phase of the tournament with the final being played on 15 October. We will have action on all days till 15 October barring three days. Click here for the complete schedule.

Rohit Sharma update

Rohit is going through a few fitness Tests at the stadium in Dubai. He doesn’t look comfortable doing the running. We are awaiting the fitness updates but if he doesn’t play, it could be a big blow for Mumbai.

IPL 2021 updated squads

Due to injuries and the impending T20 World Cup, a few IPL teams have been forced into making some changes to their squads. Chennai and Mumbai are the only two teams that have not made any changes. RCB have made five, the most by any team. 

IPL 2021 points table update

Delhi Capitals are in the first position in the tables currently with 12 points from eight matches. Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore are second and third respectively with 10 points each. Mumbai Indians are fourth with eight points. 

Form and fitness – lots to look forward to as IPL action resumes in UAE

Form-wise, India would be hoping for their big guns to fire in the IPL and warm-up for the World Cup. Pre-suspension, the ten highest run-scorers in IPL 2021 had six Indians, of which only two – KL Rahul (No 2) and Rohit (No 8) – are part of the World Cup squad. While Rahul has featured among the top three run-getters in IPL in every season since 2018, neither Rohit or Virat have made it to the top five in the said period.

However, it must be noted that the likes of Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, and Varun Chakravarthy have donned Indian colours in the recent past thanks to their IPL exploits, and they’ll be hoping to hit the right notes once action resumes.

Among the bowlers, barring standby Deepak Chahar (2019) and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah (2020), no Indian has finished in top-three in the IPL since 2018, albeit Rahul Chahar, who has displaced Yuzvendra Chahal in the World Cup-bound team, is fourth-highest wicket-taker in IPL 2021 so far, and highest among the spinners.

Chahal, on the other hand, endured a dramatic dip in form in the same edition, and finds himself at the 33rd spot, with just four scalps from seven outings at an economy in excess of eight runs per over.

India open their T20 World Cup campaign against Pakistan on 24 October in Dubai, eight days after the IPL final. Each of the 18 players in the Indian team –  15-man squad and three standbys – are important members of their respective franchises, with Kohli, Rohit, Pant, and Rahul being certain starters by virtue of being captains of their teams.

This, without doubt, puts an immense premium on the fitness and workload management of the players. 

— By Shantanu Srivastava

IPL 2021 returns as precursor to T20 World Cup

Players will be getting valuable experience in the UAE conditions ahead of the T20 World Cup while the Indian cricket board will be hoping its money-spinner stays away from the looming COVID-19 shadow when the IPL resumes with the blockbuster Chennai Super Kings-Mumbai Indians clash.

Fans, albeit a limited number, will also be present at an IPL venue for the first time since 2019, adding immensely to the event’s spectacle.

Though the squads have already been announced for the World Cup, an IPL performance seldom gets unnoticed and there could be some players, including Indians, who make the squad in the 11th hour in case of injury with the ICC allowing changes until 10 October.

Divided by franchises, united by passion: Fans gear up for IPL 2021’s return in UAE

Fans from all over India are looking forward to the return of the second leg of IPL 2021. We were able to get in touch with a couple of fans to understand their plans, superstitions, and love for the team they predict will win the coveted title this year.

“I consider Rohit Sharma my ‘Guru’, his skill as a cricketer, the way he times the ball and his consistency for the team is admirable. He is one of the biggest reasons behind MI winning the trophy multiple times in the IPL. His calm and cool captaincy on and off the field is very fascinating for me to watch," said Shakti Singh.

“I have never seen Ayank this happy for an IPL season ever, the fact that it’s return has made him cheerful and happy. He believes RCB will win this season and is super excited to watch Virat Kohli along with his team battle their way through," 4-year-old Ayank’s mother, Anusha Shetty said.

The IPL is back!

After four and half months since the 2021 edition was stopped due to COVID-19 outbreak, one of the world’s best T20 competition returns today with a big match. Chennai Super Kings face defending champions Mumbai Indians at the Dubai International Stadium. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the remainder of the IPL 2021 matches will take place in UAE.

MS Dhoni’s CSK and Rohit Sharma’s MI have no dearth in terms of quality so expect it to be an intense contest. 

Stay tuned as we will bring you all the updates from the match.