Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians kicked off Phase 2 of the IPL 2021, which resumed in the UAE. Gulf News readers Arjan Singh and Sai Prasad joined the live team to keep you up to date with all the action, beginning with CSK and Mumbai at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Follow the scores as they happened here
CHENNAI PREVAIL IN DUBAI
Shyam A. Krishna, Senior Associate Editor
The Chennai Super Kings showed why they are the side to beat in IPL 2021 with a gutsy performance. The 20-run victory over the Mumbai Indians was ample evidence of their resilience and the ability to bounce back from impossible situations
After electing to bat at the Dubai International Stadium, Chennai were reduced 24/4 in 6 overs. Young Ruturaj Gaikwad shouldered the burden of steadying CSK innings with an unbeaten 88. His knock gave CSK a fighting total of 156/6 in 20 overs. After that, the Chennai pace pack, led by Deepak Chahar, struck repeated blows to bring Mumbai to their knees.
Earlier, New Zealanders Trent Boult and Adam Milne ripped the heart out of the Chennai batting, dismissing Faf du Plessis, Moeen, Suresh Raina and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni in quick time. When Ambati Rayudu was hurt and retired, Chennai were looking down the barrel.
Gaikwad, who was put down by wicketkeeper Quentin de Kock, stood tall among the Chennai wreckage. Initially, he strung together a 71-run stand with Ravindra Jadeja (25 off 31 balls) and later accelerated in the company of Dwayne Bravo, who struck an 8-ball 23 with four sixes. Gaikwad remained unbeaten on 88 from 59 balls (9 fours, 4 sixes). In retrospect, Bravo’s cameo lent respectability to the CSK total.
Mumbai’s early flourish came unstuck after the dismissals of De Kock and Anmolpreet Singh, who replaced Rohit Sharma. The Mumbai Indians’ skipper is reported to be nursing a hamstring niggle.
With Deepak Chahar bowling a tidy spell (3-0-9-2), Mumbai could never get going and succumbed to mounting pressure with Surya Kumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan perishing cheaply. When Kieron Pollard, leading Mumbai in Sharma’s absence, was trapped lbw by Josh Hazlewood, the match was well and truly over. Saurabh Tiwary stuck around to score an unbeaten 50, but he never got adequate support at the other end.
Chennai are worthy winners, and they climb to the top of the table with 12 points, edging Delhi Capitals on a better run rate.
It's getting feisty between our Gulf News readers now as this one is in the balance!
INNINGS BREAK REPORT
Shyam A. Krishna, Senior Associate Editor
Ruturaj Gaikwad’s young shoulders carried the Chennai Super Kings to a fighting score of 156/6 in 20 overs, after Mumbai Indians’ pacers wreaked early havoc at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. New Zealanders Trent Boult and Adam Milne ripped the heart out the Chennai batting, sending back Faf du Plessis, Moeen, Suresh Raina and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni in quck time. When Ambati Rayudu was hurt and retired, Chennai were looking down the barrel.
Gaikwad, who was put down by wicketkeeper Quentin de Kock, stood tall among the Chennai wreckage. At 24/5, he strung together a 71-run stand with Ravindra Jadeja (25 off 31 balls) and later accelerated in the company of Dwayne Bravo, who struck an 8-ball 23 with four sixes. Gaikwad remained unbeaten on 88 from 59 balls (9 fours, 4 sixes).
If Mumbai do not suffer early alarms, they should be able to overhaul the target.
The fans are back out in force!
Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, who share eight titles, are the titans of the Indian Premier League. So today’s inaugural game of Phase-2 of Season 14 holds the promise of a thriller in Dubai , although Mumbai seem to have an edge.
Chennai captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni have fitness worries. Opener Faf du Plessis and allrounder Dwayne Bravo have barely recovered from injuries. And Sam Curran, who’s still in quarantine, will certainly miss the game.
Rohit Sharma should be able to field the best XI for Mumbai, who are notoriously slow starters. Since they are in fourth place on the points table, Mumbai could ill-afford an early loss since it would matter in the scramble for playoffs. So they will come firing all cylinders.
That makes for a high-voltage clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, where spectators make a return after more than a year. They could be in for a T20 cricket feast. That’s what IPL is all about.
