Chennai Super Kings suffered their first loss of the ongoing IPL season, as Mumbai Indians defeated the defending champions by 37 runs at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday (April 3).
After winning the toss, CSK skipper MS Dhoni opted to bowl first and his bowlers proved the decision right by reducing MI to 50/3 in 8.3 overs. However, Suryakumar Yadav held the one end for the home team and shared a 62-run stand with Krunal Pandya to steady the sheep. Later, Hardik Pandya (25 not out off 8 balls) and Kieron Pollard (17 not out off 7 balls) played stellar cameos and smashed 45 runs in the last two overs to propel Mumbai to 170.
In reply, CSK got off to a terrible start as they lost three wickets for just 33 runs. Although, Kedar Jadhav and Dhoni added 54 runs for the fourth wicket, the visiting team kept on losing wickets at regular intervals and were eventually restricted to 133 for 8 in 20 overs.
Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, Dhoni said: "I think quite a few things went wrong for us. I think we started off well and in the 12th-13th over also we were on the mark, but after that there were some drops and misfields.”
"The death bowling also didn't come off. We don't have bowlers who hit the deck hard, it was slightly tough on them. We do have one-on-one plans, but we needed to know where we could cut-off the boundaries, which batsmen to target," he added.
Even though CSK bowlers started off well, they couldn't build on the momentum. Asked if the strategic time-out broke their rhythm, Dhoni said, "Momentum totally depends on what position you are in. I don't think the in-between innings break really plays a part. Even if you have finished well, you need to start (the second innings) well. I don't think momentum really matters. What counts more is setting the tone while batting (or bowling)."
He also revealed that all-rounder Dwayne Bravo is suffering from a hamstring injury and might miss the next game.
"Bravo has a bit of a hamstring problem, so we'll have to see the combination. We're missing a few players already. David Willey isn't there, he has his own problems. Lungi Ngidi isn't with us as well,” Dhoni concluded.
CSK will take on Kings XI Punjab in their next game on April 6.
