IPL 2021, CSK vs MI as it happened: CSK complete remarkable turnaround to win by 20 runs

That will be all for the night, it will be KKR vs RCB on Monday.

Player of the match: Without any doubt, Ruturaj Gaikwad.

MS Dhoni speaks: We had to bat well exceptionally to get to 140 after the start we had but Rutu and Bravo did even better than that.

DJ Bravo speaks: Felt alright bowling despite doubts over his fitness recently. Says it is really important for him that works on his batting and contributes in the moments where he can, whether it is few balls or batting longer. Adapting is key. All praise for Ruturaj, who he calls a star batsman.

End of the match: From 24/4 at the end of the powerplay (effectively 24/5) Ruturaj Gaikwad played one of the best knocks in recent times in the IPL to take CSK to a winning total. A solid defence then from the bowling unit, as MI never got any momentum.

End of match: That’s the turnaround officially complete. Recovering from a wretched start to the evening, Chennai Super Kings win by 20 runs and go top of the table.

Over 19.4: WICKET! Rahul Chahar (0) is out, c Suresh Raina b Dwayne Bravo, 135/8

Bravo stat-padding nicely at the end!

Over 19.2: WICKET! Adam Milne (15) c sub (Krishnappa Gowtham) b Dwayne Bravo, 134/7

Milne looks to have connected with a shot for six, but finds the fielder in the deep with unerring precision.

MI 133/6 after 19 overs (Target: 157) A bit of an erratic 19th over from Shardul Thakur (15 runs) just about keeps things alive for MI.

Mumbai need 24 off 6 balls, Tiwary on strike. Bravo to bowl.

MI 118/6 after 18 overs (Target: 157): DROPPED! MS Dhoni and DJ Bravo go for a high catch together and neither able to complete it. The CSK skipper not pleased there, the set batter Saurabh Tiwary gets a reprieve late on. Just about keeps MI alive here with 39 needed off 12 balls.

MI 108/6 after 17 overs (Target: 157): Hazlewood finishes with 4-0-34-1. A good last over but most importantly the wicket of Kieron Pollard.

MI 104/6 after 16 overs (Target: 157) For someone who was not a certainty to play (or bowl even if he did) Bravo has done a super job for CSK tonight. Another tidy over from him. MI need a miracle from here with Tiwary and Milne in the middle. But CSK’s death bowling is not exactly their strength so let’s see.

Over 14.4: WICKET! Krunal Pandya (4) run out (Dwayne Bravo/MS Dhoni), 94/6

Well, as we come to terms with Virat Kohli’s announcement, Mumbai Indians have lost two KPs. First Pollard, then Krunal Pandya is run out soon after. MI 97/6 and staring at defeat as we take a timeout. Phew.

MI 91/5 after 14 overs (Target: 157): Potentially match-winning over by Hazlewood.

Over 13.1: WICKET! Kieron Pollard (15) lbw Josh Hazlewood, 87/5

That’s the big one for CSK! Hazlewood with the typical delivery that has gotten him so man red-ball wickets. Dead accurate, super length, Pollard plumb in front. The MI captain uses up the review as well.

MI 87/4 after 13 overs (Target: 157): Tidy over from Thakur. Time for Hazlewood to return.

BIG NEWS FROM IPL:

MI 82/4 after 12 overs (Target: 157): A delightful cover drive from Tiwary in that Bravo over.

MI 75/4 after 11 overs (Target: 157): Dhoni now has that straight-as-an-arrow fielder down the ground for Pollard off Jadeja but the big man takes all fielders out of equation when he gets into his stride. An effortless lofted shot over long on for six. Here we go.

MI 62/4 after 10 overs (Target: 157): Dhoni comes up to the stumps for Bravo vs Pollard but the former offers up a gift of a short ball that is cut away for four.

MI need a Pollard special

Over 9.2: WICKET! IshaN Kishan (11) c Suresh Raina b Dwayne Bravo, MI 58/4

OH DEAR. Timeout, four (almost out), out! Ishan Kishan is livid with himself as he drives one uppishly for a catch to cover. DJ Bravo strikes in his first over!

MI 54/3 after 9 overs (Target: 157): Ishan and Tiwary have steadied the ship for MI here while CSK do well to keep the boundaries out of the equation. Time for a timeout.

MI 45/3 after 7 overs (Target: 157): Now a question of how much Pollard can do perhaps, but Tiwary and Ishan can make his job a bit easier with a good partnership. Ali comes on for a tidy over after powerplay.

over 5.4: WICKET! Suryakumar Yadav (3) c Faf du Plessis b Shardul Thakur, 37/3

Suryakumar Yadav is gone and that’s a big one for Chennai, Shardul Thakur strikes in his first over. SKY plays that on-the-up shot well but gets no timing on that, caught at cover by Faf.

Over 4.6: WICKET! Anmolpreet Singh (16) b Deepak Chahar

Deepak Chahar, behind only Trent Boult in recent powerplay wicket charts, has produced a superb knuckle ball to deceive the MI debutant. 35/2

MI 34/1 after 3 overs (Target: 157): Anmolpreet Singh, on his debut, has played three lovely shots off Josh Hazlewood to get going. Batting on 16 off 10. A couple of lovely pick-ups behind square, one of them six.

2.2: WICKET! Quinton de Kock (17) lbw Deepak Chahar

Deepak Chahar with celebratory-appeal but was given not out by the umpire. It was plumb though, one of the most obvious looking non-decisions there. Maybe Illingworth thought it was outside leg stump given Chahar was bowling over the wicket but the SA batsman had moved across. DRS gets CSK their first wicket. QdK walks back. MI 18/1.

MI 14/0 after 2 overs (Target: 157): Josh can’t be feeling too high after that over as he sees a catch dropped by Gaikwad and either side of that there were fours by the South African opener.

CSK innings: Quinton de Kock drops a sharp chance offered by Ruturaj Gaikwad. 

 MI innings: Ruturaj Gaikwad drops a sharp chance offered by Quinton de Kock. 

MI 2/0 after 1 over (Target: 157): Deepak Chahar with a tidy first over.

Innings break: Who will open for MI?

END OF CSK INNINGS, 156/6:

END OF CSK INNINGS, 156/6: What a performance by Ruturaj Gaikwad! SENSATIONAL INNINGS, SENSATIONAL FINISH. lPenty of lovely strokes, but those two shots in the final over bowled by Bumrah either side of the wicket... oof, what skill! 88* off 58 balls.

CSK 141/5 after 19 overs: Trent Boult, who was so good in the powerplay for MI, returns for the 19th over and concedes 4-1-6-6-1-6. Two sixes for Bravo, one for Gaikwad.

DJ BRAVO IN THE HOUSE! 1-1-6-6-6. 20 runs from the first five balls he has faced.

CSK 117/5 after 18 overs: Bravo special to finish what was shaping into a good over from Milne. Very few can play that lofted shot over extra cover the way DJ does. Goes all the way for a six.

CSK 107/5 after 17 overs: Gaikwad’s six before Jadeja’s wicket in that over meant it was still a good one for Chennai. Bravo has joined Ruturaj in the middle.

Over 16.4: WICKET! In his 100th IPL match, Bumrah does what he does. A wicket at the death, a partnership broken. Jadeja never quite got going but played a good hand to steady the ship for Chennai.

Jadeja (26) c Pollard b Bumrah

CSK 98/4 after 16 overs: HALF CENTURY! Ruturaj Gaikwad has picked up from where he left off in UAE at the end of IPL 2020. Another half century for him! A superb innings so far. Smart too, to go after Pollard in that over, with a couple of boundaries.

Pollard to bowl another over, given Boult, Milne and Bumrah will bowl the remaining four.

CSK 87/4 after 15 overs: End of a tidy bowling spell from RChahar, the man in India’s T20 World Cup squad. Timeout taken as we get into the final phase of this innings.

CSK 81/4 after 14 overs: A rather risk-free 7-run over off Bumrah is not a bad deal for CSK at this stage.

CSK 74/4 after 13 overs: The fifty partnership between Gaikwad and Jadeja. The former hits a lovely cut for four in that Chahar over. Playing a little gem, the opener for CSK.

CSK 66/4 after 12 overs: Just what CSK would have wanted at this stage, some sort of momentum and it has come from two poor overs from Krunal. Gaikwad dances down for a six straight back and then finishes with a superb reverse sweep. In between Jadeja got a four past third man as well. 0/27 from 2 overs for Krunal.

CSK 48/4 after 11 overs: Mahela confirms that Rohit is just rested as a precaution, should return to action soon.

CSK 44/4 after 10 overs: A really good over for Chennai, that. Best of the match. (Given how bad the rest of the overs of been, it’s a low bar but still). Wide from Krunal goes for four.

CSK 35/4 after 9 overs: DROPPED! Chahar induces the outside edge from Gaikwad but the deflection is too sharp for QdK to hold on. Tough chance but goes does down as a chance nevertheless.

CSK 31/4 after 8 overs: Feels like even a two-over phase without a wicket feels like a small win for CSK at this stage. They do have a deep batting lineup, but it would take some effort to post a winning total from here. Jadeja and Gaikwad looking to keep things simple as Bumrah and Pollard complete a couple of tight overs.

Over 5.6: MS DHONI GONE! Boult takes a sharp catch and Milne has another. It felt like the CSK captain timed it well, but flat and powerful as the pull shot was, it was straight to Boult.

Chennai 24/4 after 6 overs. End of a decent powerplay for Mumbai.Powerplay started with c Milne b Boult and finished with c Boult b Milne. Mumbai New Zealanders on fire.

Milne too will bowl a third. MI keeping Bumrah for the middle and death overs.

MI have a short-ish leg for Dhoni. Has Gambhir been talking to the think-tank?

CSK 18/3 after 5 overs: Dhoni has a massive rebuilding task on his hands along with Gaikwad. Boult comes for a third over, and the latter scores a streaky boundary behind the ‘keeper.

CSK 11/3 after 4 overs: Breaking news. An over without a wicket lost for CSK. Gaikwad gets a boundary in Milne’s over, five dot balls otherwise.

CSK 7/3 after 3 overs: WHAT IS GOING ON! After Ambati Rayudu walked back injured, Suresh Raina is out caught attempting a big shot. Backing away, wild swing, caught at point, just an ugly moment of cricket from Raina. Boult again.

Wicket in first over: check

Wicket in second over: check

Wicket in third over: check

CSK 3/2 after 2 overs: Wow and now Ambati Rayudu has walked back to the dressing room after getting hit on the arm from a Milne brute. Horror start for CSK.

Over 1.3: WICKET! Oh dear! Not the ideal start for Chennai Super Kings. Adam Milne with a short and wide ball, Moeen Ali mistimes a cut shot too, this one in front of square as Tiwary takes a diving catch. Pacers, like in the early stages of IPL 2020, are already making their mark!

1/1: Faf du Plessis out.

2/2: Moeen Ali out.

Over 0.5: WICKET! Trent Boult is at it again in the powerplay! Faf du Plessis is out for zero, caught by Adam Milne. A half-hearted cut shot, Faf’s innings is cut short. CSK are 1/1 at the end of the first over. What a start for MI.

Trent Boult to start.

CSK: Big names fit and ready to go.

MI: A couple of big names not playing.

Can Chennai improve their recent poor record against Mumbai tonight and go top of the table? We are all set.

PICTURE PERFECT: Another B100M moment today. After his 100th Test wicket recently, Bumrah plays his 100th IPL match tonight.

TEAM NEWS:

Chennai Super Kings XI: Faf du Plessis, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Moeen Ali, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, DJ Bravo, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Josh Hazlewood

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

TOSS: First big news, Kieron Pollard is the skipper for MI today. MS Dhoni wins the toss and opts to bat. He confirms Faf du Plessis will play, despite some injury concerns.

“Rohit Sharma is fine, he’s the captain of the ship, you’ll see him sooner rather than later,” says Pollard. And another major news is no Hardik Pandya for MI too. Two big guns missing.

06.59 pm: The first big news is that there is no Rohit Sharma for Mumbai Indians today. Kieron Pollard has walked out for the toss.

06.50 pm: Hello all and welcome to our live coverage of IPL 2021. The action restarts in the 14th edition of the tournament. When Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians met in the IPL 2021 for the first time, it was one of the last few matches to take place before the tournament came to a halt due to Covid-19 cases being reported in the bubble. And, with Dubai as the setting, we are here for the restart of the tournament.

IPL 2021 resumes in United Arab Emirates in front of spectators, but without a host of top international stars after four months of pandemic suspension.

Fans will be in the stands for the first time in two years when Rohit Sharma’s title-holders, Mumbai Indians, take on Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings in Dubai to restart the high-octane Twenty20 competition.

The eight-team tournament resumes with Delhi Capitals at the top of the table followed by Chennai, Bangalore and Mumbai in the playoff places. The remaining 31 matches will be held in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. The final will be in Dubai on October 15, just two days before the rescheduled T20 World Cup begins, also in the UAE and Oman.

Cricket can take centerstage again as IPL 2021 resumes with heavyweight battle

(With AFP inputs)