Ambati Rayudu and Faf du Plessis smashed a half-century each as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) kicked off their campaign at the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with a comfortable five-wicket win over defending champions Mumbai Indians at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
The Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side won the toss and opted to bowl first during the match.
Skipper Rohit Sharma and opener Quinton de Kock made a solid start for Mumbai Indians by bringing the side close to 50-run mark after just two overs.
However, Rohit (12) and De Kock (33) soon departed in quick successions afte falling victims to Piyush Chawla and Sam Curran in the fifth and sixth over, respectively.
Following the duo’s departure, Saurabh Tiwary notched up a quick-fire 31-ball 42 runs besides stitching a 44-run stand with Suryakumar Yadav (16-ball 17) as Mumbai Indians posted a score of 162 for nine in their stipulated 20 overs.
For Chennai Super Kings, Lungi Ngidi was the pick of the bowlers with figures of three for 38.While Deepak Chahar and Ravindra Jadeja bagged two wickets each, Sam Curran and Piyush Chawla also chipped in with a wicket.
In reply, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) lost their openers Murali Vijay (1) and Shane Watson (4) inside two overs.
Subsequently, Rayudu (71) and Du Plessis (unbeaten at 58) joined forces and the duo not only smashed a half-century each but also stitched a crucial 115-run stand for the third wicket to help CSK chase down the target in 19.2 overs.
Trent Boult, James Pattinson, Jasprit Bumrah, Krunal Pandya and Rahul Chahar all claimed a wicket each for Mumbai Indians.
Rayudu was declared ‘Man of the Match’ for his good show with the bat.
CSK will next lock horns with Rajasthan Royals on September 22 at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, while Mumbai Indians will face Kolkata Knight Riders at Sheikh Zayed Stadium a day later.
Source: Zee News