Amid the anticipation, the second phase of IPL 2021 got underway on Sunday (September 19) with Mumbai Indians (MI) taking on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the first game at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Opting to bat first, CSK were reeling at 24/4 after the powerplay overs. However, thanks to opener Ruturaj Gaikwad’s 58-ball 88* and Dwayne Bravo’s blazing 23* off 8 balls, Chennai ended with a competitive total of 156/6 on the board.
Adam Milne was the stand-out bowler for MI as he claimed two wickets by conceding only 21 runs in his stipulated four overs.
In reply, the defending champions managed 136/8 in 20 overs. It was a disappointing batting performance as none of them except for Saurabh Tiwary (50* off 40 balls) managed to touch the 20-run mark.
For CSK, Deepak Chahar (2-19) and Bravo (3-25) starred with the ball while Shardul Thakur (1-29) and Josh Hazlewood (1-34) also chipped in with a wicket.
By virtue of this victory, Super Kings overtook Delhi Capitals to claim the first position on the points table with 6 wins from 8 outings.
Cricket experts on Twitter lauded MS Dhoni and company for their stunning comeback after losing four wickets cheaply in the game.
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