IPL 2020, Match 1: Mumbai Indians (MI) vs Chennai Super Kings (CSK) – CSK Starts The Campaign With A Victory Against Defending Champions 1
Image Credit: IPL

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) started the IPL 2020 in a great fashion as they beat the defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) by five wickets in the opening game of the IPL 2020 at Sheikh Zayed Stadium (Abu Dhabi) on Saturday (19th September) evening. While MI continued their losing streak in their IPL season opener since 2013, CSK continued their winning streak in their IPL season opener, which they are maintaining since 2015 edition (missed out IPL 2016 and 2017).

CSK captain MS Dhoni won the toss in this tournament opener and decided to field first. Despite getting a very good start, Mumbai Indians finally managed to score 162/9 (20 overs) at the end of the first innings. In reply, CSK reached the target in 19.2 overs after losing five wickets. With this victory, Chennai ended their five-match losing streak against the four-time IPL champions.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) innings: Ambati Rayudu and Faf du Plessis scored half-centuries

CSK didn’t get a good start as they lost both their openers, Murali Vijay (1) and Shane Watson (4) inside the first two overs. Both the CSK openers were trapped for the lbw. While Watson was dismissed by the left-arm pacer Trent Boult on the final ball of the first over, James Pattinson picked up Vijay’s wicket in six balls later. During Vijay’s dismissal, while the Indian batsman didn’t take the DRS, the replays suggested that the ball was missing the stumps.

CSK, MI, Ambati Rayudu, Faf du Plessis, IPL 2020
Image Credit: IPL

Struggling on 6/2, the next two CSK batsmen Faf du Plessis and Ambati Rayudu handled that early pressure situation very well and built up the strong century partnership for the third wicket. While Rayudu was busy to add quick runs, Faf was providing solid support to him. Rayudu completed his fifty in 33 balls and became the first half-centurion in the IPL 2020.

After setting up the 115 runs partnership for the third wicket, Rayudu was caught and bowled by Rahul Chahar in the 16th over. Before losing his wicket, Rayudu scored 71 runs off 48 balls (6 fours and 3 sixes).

CSK, MI, Ambati Rayudu, IPL 2020
Ambati Rayudu (Image Credit: IPL)

Ravindra Jadeja was sent up to the batting order, but Krunal Pandya got him quickly as the left-handed batsman was dismissed for 10 runs off five balls.

Then, Sam Curran played a crucial firing cameo of 18 runs off just six balls. After his dismissal, calm Faf completed his half-century. Returning to the cricket ground after more than a year, MS Dhoni was given caught behind dismissal on his first ball facing, but that decision was overturned after Dhoni took the correct DRS.

In the final over, CSK required five runs and they reached the target after Faf hit a boundary and took a single on the first two deliveries of the final over. Faf remained not out on 58 runs off 44 balls.

CSK, MI, Faf du Plessis, IPL 2020
Faf du Plessis (Image Credit: TIPL)

Mumbai Indians (MI) innings: CSK bowlers made a great comeback after dominating start from the defending champions

Mumbai Indians openers Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock started in a very positive and aggressive way, but both the openers lost their wickets before the ending of the mandatory powerplay. Captain Rohit started the new IPL season with a boundary to Deepak Chahar while the openers put the 46 runs partnership.

At the end of the first six overs, Mumbai scored 51/2, while Rohit was dismissed on 12 runs, De Kock scored 33 runs off 20 balls. The CSK leg-spinner Piyush Chawla took the first wicket of the season after dismissing the MI skipper.

Then Suryakumar Yadav and Saurabh Tiwary put the 44 runs partnership for the third wicket. After Yadav was dismissed for 17 runs, Tiwary and Hardik Pandya were busy to add quick runs. But Mumbai Indians’ strong situation was changed in 15th over (Ravindra Jadeja’s over) when Faf du Plessis grabbed two incredible catches at the long position to dismiss Tiwary (42 runs) and Pandya (14 runs) respectively.

CSK, MI, IPL 2020
Saurabh Tiwary (Image Credit: IPL)

Among the next batsmen, only Kieron Pollard (18 runs) and James Pattinson (11 runs) managed to reach the double-digit scores.

CSK pacer Lungi Ngidi had the bowling figures of 4-0-38-3. At the end of his first two overs, his bowling figures were 2-0-29-0. But, the bowling figures in his next two overs were very incredible – 2-0-9-3.

Also, the right-arm pacer Deepak Chahar (2/32) and left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja (2/42) bagged two wickets each in this match. Meanwhile, the English left-arm pacer Sam Curran (1/28) and the experienced Indian leggie Piyush Chawla (1/21) were economical and both took one wicket each.

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