Finance
In Match 29 of IPL 2024 at the Wankhede Stadium here on Sunday, Rohit Sharma made his second century in the Indian Premier League (IPL), but his incredible effort was in vain as Chennai Super Kings defeated Mumbai Indians by 20 runs thanks to outstanding batting from Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, and MS Dhoni as well as a four-fer from pacer Matheesha Pathirana.
With 11 boundaries and five well-placed sixes, Rohit amassed a stunning second century in the T20 league in 17 years, remaining undefeated at 105 off 62 balls. However, after a strong start, the Mumbai Indians lost their fourth game of the season as they were unable to keep up with the increasing run rate and lost wickets at crucial points.
It was Super Sunday, not for the hosts but for the visitors as they rode on brilliant half-centuries by Ruturaj Gaikwad (69) and Shivam Dube (66 not out) and a sensational four-ball 20 by Mahendra Singh Dhoni to post a challenging 206/4 in 20 overs. CSK then rode on a superb 4-28 by Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana, who came in as an Impact Substitute, to restrict Mumbai Indians to 186/6 in 20 overs. Ironically, it was this four-ball 20 by Dhoni that proved decisive as they lost the match by the same margin.
Rohit and Ishan Kishan shared another superb partnership to give Mumbai a good start as they raced to 63 runs in the Power-play.
Kishan started aggressively as he hit a four off Tushar Deshpande’s second delivery and followed that up with a six and four back-to-back off Shardul Thakur in the third over. Mustafizur Rahman got struck for a four too and though Ravindra Jadeja kept him quiet,
Matheesha Pathirana, who came in as an Impact Substitute, struck off his first delivery, as Kishan hit a full-length delivery on his pads straight to Shardul Thakur at midwicket for a regulation catch. Kishan scored 23 off 15 balls, hitting three fours and a six, to leave Mumbai at 70/1 in the eighth over.
Mumbai’s Impact Substitute Suryakuamr Yadav, who had blasted a 17-ball half-century in the previous match against RCB, went back for a two-ball duck, an uppercut off a short and wide delivery with extra pace was caught superbly by Mustafizur at the deep third-man boundary. From 70 for no loss, MI were down to 70/2 in three deliveries.
However, Rohit Sharma persisted with his outstanding batting, attacking the bowlers with his characteristic power strikes as he quickly reached his half-century off only 30 balls, hitting two maximums and seven boundaries. The Indian captain opened his innings by hitting his Mumbai teammate Deshpande for a four on the fifth delivery of his opening over. Mustafizur Rahman was treated similarly in the following over. In the fifth over, Mustafizur was hit for four and six consecutive deliveries, the latter of which landed on the stadium roof, while Deshpande was removed from the ground with a neat pull.
Before hitting a four and a six off Ravindra Jadeja, Rohit also tormented Shadrul Thakur and Deshpande for a few boundaries apiece. Deshpande added insult to the injury by dropping a slog-sweep over the boundary rope for the six.
He and Tilak Varma added 60 runs for the third-wicket partnership before Varma got out for a 20-ball 31 studded with five boundaries. Pathirana, who came into the side as an Impact substitute after an injury break, was brought into the attack and made an impact by removing Varma, with a slower one pitched on the back of the length that was hit straight to Thakur for a tumbling catch at mid-off.
With the run rate mounting, Mumbai lost the plot in the death overs as Shardul Thakur and Tushar Deshpande bowled excellent overs, conceding three and two runs respectively
Hardik Pandya, who was hammered for a hat-trick of sixes by MS Dhoni in the final over, made his day worse by scoring two runs off six balls while Tim David could manage only 13 off six.
Rohit continued to score briskly from the other end, hitting Mustafizur Rahman a couple of lusty blows, including a six as he completed his century off 61 balls, hitting Pathirana for back-to-back boundaries in the final over.
Romario Shepherd was bowled by Pathirana for one run, leaving Mumbai needing 41 runs off 12 balls. A tall ask anyway and they eventually ended on 186/4, losing the match by 20 runs. Rohit Sharma remained not out on 105 but he did not get the support from the other end as Mumbai Indians succumbed to scoreboard pressure and some good bowling in the death overs by Chennai Super Kings. Pathirana was the best bowler of the lot with 4-28 in four overs that broke the back of Mumbai innings.
Earlier, the Chennai Super Kings surprised everyone by starting the innings with Rachin Ravindra and Ajinkya Rahane rather than captain Gaikwad. Rahane was out for five at his own ground, thus the move did not have the expected effect.
He fell to Gerald Coetzee in the next over after mistiming a pull shot that went straight to Hardik Pandya at mid-on. In the second over, he had brushed Mohd Nabi over short fine leg for a boundary.
In the middle too, CSK started prospering with Gaikwad hammering Coetzee for a massive six over long-on in the third over and following that up with four and six off successive balls in his next over, making room for a cut but managing only a thick inside edge past short fine-leg and backing away again on the next ball to uppercut a short one over third man for six.
CSK could still manage only 48/1 in the Power-play. However, with both Gaikwad and Ravindra helping themselves to a four each off Akash Madhwal and the New Zealand opener carting Shreyas Gopal for a six with a clean swing over long-on, they completed fifty of their partnership for the second wicket off 36 balls.
On the subsequent delivery, Gopal exacted his revenge by creating a slight edge, which caused Ravindra to attempt a cut but miss. After his appeal is denied, goalkeeper Ishan Kishan submits one, which the Mumbai Indians evaluate. When the ball passes the bat and Mumbai gets their man, Ultra Edge displays a tiny spike. After hitting two fours and a six, Ravindra was out for 21 off 16 runs, dropping CSK to 60/2 in the eighth over.
While Jasprit Bumrah kept things tight at one end by conceding only 10 runs in his first two overs, CSK continued to prosper from the other with Shivam Dube helping himself to three boundaries, two of them off successive deliveries, off Hardik Pandya’s first over, which cost Mumbai Indians 15 runs.
Gaikwad, who was dropped by Rohit Sharma off Madhwal when on 40, went on to smash a six each off Madhwal and Coetzee in successive overs to complete his half-century off 33 balls, hitting three fours and as many sixes. He and Dube also raised fifty runs in their partnership for the third wicket off 30 balls.
Dube, who started with three fours off Pandya, slapped and pulled Romario Shepherd for two boundaries and then in the 14th over, Shepherd for back-to-back sixes, two superb efforts that were followed by a boundary off a short ball past the deep midwicket which left the fans delirious in the stands. Gaikwad then scythed a low full toss off his wrists for another boundary as the over cost Mumbai Indians 22 runs. Dube bought fifty off 28 balls.
Gaikwad struck Madhwal for a six and four off successive balls, advancing down the wicket to blast a six off Madhwal despite the bowler going wide. With runs flowing easily, skipper Hardik Pandya brought himself into the attack and was rewarded for his courageous decision when he got his counterpart with an off-cutter, inducing a mishit that went straight to Nabi at long-on. Gaikwad’s superb innings produced 69 runs off 40 balls and was studded with five boundaries and as many sixes. He and Dube added 90 runs for the third wicket in quick time.
The crowd that was till then going “Rohit, Rohit”, started chanting the name of the Mumbai Indians skippers as Pandya got a wicket for two runs in that over.
Daryl Mitchell was out for 17 off 14 but Mahendra Singh Dhoni hammered Pandya for a hat-trick of sixes in the final over that cost 26 runs as CSK posted a par score of 206/4 in 20 overs. Shivam Dube remained unbeaten on 66 off 36 balls while Dhoni finished on 20 not out off four deliveries as CSK set Mumbai Indians a target of 207.
Though Bumrah was at his usual frugal self giving 27 runs in his four overs, Pandya ended with 2-43 courtesy of Dhoni’s three sixes.
Gaikwad and Dube took advantage of the bowling to enable the Mumbai Indians score 101 runs between the 7th and 15th overs, but the team gave up far too many runs in the middle overs. Experts were also perplexed by Mumbai Indians captain Pandya’s decision to withhold his quota from Mohd Nabi, who conceded just 19 runs in three overs, while fellow spinner Shreyas Gopal was given just one over in which he claimed one wicket for nine runs. Dhoni gave him a hard time as he assumed responsibility for bowling the last over.
Brief scores: Chennai Super Kings 206/4 in 20 overs (Ruturaj Gaikwad 69, Shivam Dube 66 not out, MS Dhoni 20 not out; Hardik Pandya 2-43) beat Mumbai Indians 186/6 in 20 overs (Rohit Sharma 105 not out, Tilak Varma 31; Matheesha Pathirana 4-28).
Source:IANS
