Gaikwad, Bravo hand CSK winning start as IPL resumes

Ruturaj Gaikwad starred with the bat as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) beat Mumbai Indians (MI) on the return of the VIVO Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 in Dubai on Sunday.

Needing 157 runs to win, MI were off to a quick start before Deepak Chahar dismissed Quinton de Kock in the third over, courtesy a brilliant DRS call from MS Dhoni.

The right-arm pacer, who has built a reputation of scalping wickets in the Powerplay, added one more wicket to his account after he got MI debutant Anmolpreet Singh out in the fifth over.

Shardul Thakur gave CSK their third success after he dismissed Suryakumar Yadav in the final over of the powerplay. Ishan Kishan and Saurabh Tiwary then took MI past 50. But Kishan was dismissed in the 10^th over by Dwayne Bravo, who was playing his 100^th IPL game for CSK.

While Kieron Pollard, who was captaining MI in the absence of Rohit Sharma, and Tiwary added 29 runs together, CSK managed to push MI on the backfoot as Josh Hazlewood got Pollard out LBW and Bravo ran Krunal Pandya out to reduce MI to 94-6.

Although Tiwary, who scored a valiant half-century, and Adam Milne added 40 runs, it was a little late for MI as CSK sealed a 20-run win.

Earlier, CSK won the toss and elected to bat against MI, which were without the services of their regular skipper Rohit Sharma and all-rounder Hardik Pandya.

MI made early inroads as the Kiwi pace-bowling duo of Trent Boult and Milne ran through the CSK top-order.

While Boult dismissed Faf du Plessis in the first over, Milne got Moeen Ali out in the next over before the left-arm pacer had Suresh Raina’s scalp.

Milne then added one more wicket to his tally in the final over of the powerplay as Boult took a fine catch in the deep to get the prized scalp of MS Dhoni.

CSK were hampered after Ambati Rayudu was retired hurt after being hit on elbow by a Milne delivery.

But Gaikwad and Ravindra Jadeja began the rebuilding work. The pair kept the scorecard ticking and denied MI any immediate success.

CSK moved past 70-run mark in the 13^th over as the pair completed a vital half-century stand. Three overs later, Gaikwad brought up a well-compiled half-century – his sixth in the IPL – before CSK brought up their hundred in the 17^th over.

However, the Gaikwad-Jadeja’s 81-run partnership was broken as Jasprit Bumrah, playing his 100^th IPL game, dismissed Jadeja.

Gaikwad was then joined by Dwayne Bravo and the two changed the gears in style. The duo went after Boult in the penultimate over, hammering 24 runs, with Bravo slamming 2 sixes and Gaikwad hitting a six and a four each.

While Bravo got out in the final over after his eight-ball 23-run cameo, Gaikwad stayed put till the end – creaming a four and a six each in the 20^th over – to take CSK to 156-6. (IPL)