Kevin Pietersen feels Mumbai Indians missed a trick, allowing Chennai Super Kings to get to over 150 when they had them on the mat at 24/4. Kevin Pietersen was pretty outspoken at the mid-innings interval of the Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians Match 30 of the IPL 2021, believing MI lost grip of the game when they allowed CSK to come back in the game after having them on the mat at 24/4 in the Powerplay(6 overs).

CSK finished their innings on 156/6 thanks to Ruturaj Gaikwad’s innings of 88 not out and Dwayne Bravo who played a cameo of 23 runs from just eight balls, including three massive sixes besides picking 3 scalps. CSK was 24/4 at one stage and Ambati Rayudu was retired hard but the momentum was shifted as unlike the opening pacers Trent Boult and Adam Milne, the spinner Krunal Pandya(2 overs 27 runs) was too expensive.

Kevin Pietersen file image | Faheem Hussain – Sportzpics

Kevin Pietersen: Mumbai Indians Missed A Trick And Lost Despite Starting Well

The total proved to be a match-winning one as MI finished on 136/8; thus, losing the contest by 20 runs. Kevin Pietersen was sceptical of Kieron Pollard’s captaincy, pointing out areas where he felt Mumbai Indians should have been tactically smarter.

“Mumbai started so well. They really got themselves into the game. They knew they needed to get themselves going. They lost their captain so he was replaced. And they started so well. CSK was 4 down very early. Ambati Rayudu retired out. When you get that many wickets early, you have to keep your foot down. You talk about momentum; you need to keep it going,” Pietersen said during the innings interval on Star Sports.

“I think Mumbai Indians missed a trick. I don’t know what Kieron Pollard was thinking by not bowling Jasprit Bumrah for 2 or 3 overs. They could have been 40/7, 50/7. CSK could have been 60, 70, or 80 all out. I’m not being silly when I say that. You have got to bowl your fast, strike bowlers.”

Jasprit Bumrah was taken off after just one over, and the ball was handed to Krunal Pandya and Rahul Chahar. Although Rahul Chahar bowled a tight spell at one end, Krunal Pandya leaked runs with Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ravindra Jadeja growing in confidence. Apart from the MI pacers Trent Boult, Adam Milne, and Jasprit Bumrah who took 2 wickets each, the other bowlers failed to take a scalp.

Kevin Pietersen: Mumbai Indians Should Have Cleaned CSK Out

The two Ravindra Jadeja and Ruturaj Gaikwad stitched a partnership of 81 runs to put CSK back in the game, which is something Kevin Pietersen reckons should have been avoided given the fact that 3 of their top four were all dismissed for ducks – Ambati Rayudu was retired hurt – MS Dhoni fell for 3 and Suresh Raina for 4.

Dwayne Bravo. (AFP)/ AFP PHOTO / PUNIT PARANJPE

“They were allowed into the game. There is nowhere in this world that they should have been in this game. Mumbai Indians should have cleaned them out. These are things that are discussed in team meetings. If you had been 40/4 or something like that, you don’t bring spinners in and if you do, you don’t put fielders in the boundary,” Pietersen added at the end of the match.

Ravindra Jadeja and Dwayne Bravo scored 26 and 23 respectively before being dismissed while Faf du Plessis, Moeen Ali, Suresh Raina, and MS Dhoni couldn’t contribute even 5 runs each. For CSK, pacers Dwayne Bravo scalped three wickets and Deepak Chahar took two scalps. For Mumbai Indians, Saurabh Tiwary was the highest scorer after playing a knock of 50 runs.

With this win, Chennai Super Kings went to the top of the IPL table while Mumbai is now in danger of falling outside the top 4 if they get on a losing streak.

Chennai Super Kings 156 for 6 (Gaikwad 88*, Jadeja 26, Milne 2-21) beat Mumbai Indians 136 for 8 (Tiwary 50*, Bravo 3-25, D Chahar 2-19) by 20 runs