Half-centuries from Faf du Plessis and Moeen Ali set the tone before Ambati Rayudu’s 72-run blitz propelled CSK to 218/4. Chasing a record target, the MI openers got a good start. However, vintage Kieron Pollard produced a special knock as he smashed an unbeaten 87 to give MI a thrilling last-ball win.
It was an absolute run-fest at the Ferozshah Kotla in Delhi. 437 runs were scored across 40 overs as the two batting line-ups showcased their power and might while the bowlers travelled the distance. 30 sixes were hit as the game swayed from one corner to the other before Kieron Pollard flexed his muscles and got the jaws to drop as he smoked a stunning 87 off just 34 balls to take Mumbai Indians to victory.
Pollard’s special helped the defending champions overcome a spectacular blitz from Ambati Rayudu, who had propelled Chennai Super Kings to 218. The bowlers from both sides travelled the distance and were smacked all over the Ferozshah Kotla.
It was Rohit Sharma who won the toss and inserted CSK into bat first. Trent Boult set the tone early with the wicket of an in-form Ruturaj Gaikwad in the first over. But that didn’t deter CSK as Faf du Plessis, and Moeen Ali took the attack to the MI bowlers. The duo got at least one boundary every over in the powerplay as CSK reached 49/1.
After the field spread out, there were a couple of quiet overs, and Jimmy Neesham dropped a return catch, and du Plessis got a life. At the end of 8 overs, CSK were 61/1, but then the carnage started. Ali smacked three sixes and two fours in the span of two overs before du Plessis took Jasprit Bumrah to the cleaners, hitting the premier MI speedster for two sixes and a four off successive deliveries.
However, Bumrah pulled one back as he dismissed Ali with a sharp short delivery and had him caught behind. Pollard was introduced into the attack in the very next over, and he changed the game with two wickets in as many balls. Du Plessis fell while trying to scoop a slower one while Suresh Raina holed out at deep square leg.
After all the hard work and fearless batting, CSK almost fluffed the start as they lost three wickets in the space of eight balls and that too for just four runs. Ambati Rayudu and Ravindra Jadeja could muster just ten runs in two overs after the triple strike, and that included a boundary from Rayudu. Jadeja just couldn’t rotate strike or get the big shots away as he crawled to 2 off 7.
With the score reading 126/4 in 14 overs, CSK must’ve been targeting 185-190, but Rayudu had other ideas. He went berserk. Every MI bowler that came into the attack travelled the distance. It was absolute carnage as the veteran Hyderabad-born batter raced away to a 20-ball 50 and finally ended up with 72 off a mere 27 balls. Rayudu hit seven sixes, and four fours as his flourish drove CSK well past 200 and finished with 218. Jadeja’s knock wasn’t the most fluent as he remained unbeaten on a run-a-ball 22.
In reply, MI started off strongly. Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock laid the platform and were excellent in the powerplay. They took charge and smashed 58 runs in the first six overs. The MI skipper got to 31 off 19 while de Kock made 25 from 17. Shardul Thakur broke the threatening opening partnership as Rohit holed out to deep cover in the 8th over.
That put the brakes on MI’s charge as CSK picked up three wickets in as many overs, including Rohit’s wicket. Jadeja scalped Suryakumar Yadav before Moeen Ali had de Kock caught and bowled.
The defending champions were in deep trouble at 81/3 in 10 overs and needed a staggering 138 runs from the last ten overs, which then came down to 125 off the last eight. That is exactly when Pollard went bonkers. He was batting on three off five deliveries before he struck Jadeja for three sixes to start the carnage.
Lungi Ngidi and Thakur came into the attack in the following overs and were deposited in the stands with ease as Pollard breezed past his half-century in a mere 17 balls. Those three overs combined cost CSK a mammoth 58 runs as the equation came down to 66 off the last five overs. Krunal Pandya, who was going at a run-a-ball, hit Ngidi for a couple of fours and a six to play his part before Sam Curran bowled a brilliant 17th over. The left-handed seam-bowling all-rounder gave away just two runs and picked up the wicket of Krunal.
Thakur went for 17 runs in the 18th over as Pollard kept MI in the hunt. With 31 needed from 12 deliveries, Hardik Pandya struck a couple of big sixes to bring the required rate down even further as it was the turn of Curran to go the distance. However, the England all-rounder pulled it back with two wickets off the last three balls in the penultimate over.
Ngidi was entrusted with the final over, but to be fair, which was the only option MS Dhoni had as the other bowlers who had overs left were Jadeja and Ali. Ngidi bowled a low full toss, and Pollard mis-hit one before he smacked the next two for fours as Ngidi missed his mark. He bowled another dot on the 4th delivery before Pollard tonked the fifth for a six to bring it down to two off the last ball. Ngidi nailed the yorker, but there was an easy two with all fielders deep on the leg-side.
Pollard remained unbeaten on 87 in what was a whirlwind knock and took MI over the finish line. That makes it four-four for MI, and they’ve now made it two in a row in Delhi. CSK’s five-match winning streak came to an end as well, but they continue to be at the top of the points table.
Brief Scores
Chennai Super Kings 218/4 (Rayudu 72*, Ali 58, du Plessis 50, Pollard 2/12, Boult 1/42) lost to Mumbai Indians 219/6 (Pollard 87*, de Kock 38, Rohit 35, Curran 3/34, Ali 1/1) by four wickets
