Vivo IPL 2021 MI vs CSK: Kieron Pollard Powers Mumbai Indians to a four-wicket victory against CSK last night.
Vivo IPL 2021: Defending Champions Mumbai Indians (MI) on Saturday thrashed Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in a high scoring thriller at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium. Mumbai won the game by four wickets and registered their second consecutive win of the tournament.
Mumbai Indians stalwart Kieron Pollard inked an extraordinary inning of unbeaten 87 from mere 37 balls as MI chased down the massive total of 218 runs.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) scored 218 runs in 20 overs in the loss of four wickets.
Trent Boult provided an early breakthrough to Mumbai Indians (MI) as he picked Ruturaj Gaikwad in the first over.
Moeen Ali came to bat at number 3, stitched a good partnership with Faf du Plessis. Both the cricketers didn’t let the pressure build up after the early wicket.
CSK scored 49 runs in the loss of one wicket in the powerplay.
All-rounder Moeen Ali started taking on Mumbai Indians bowlers and brought up the fifty partnership in no time.
CSK scored 95-1 in 10 overs with Moeen Ali completing his half-century in just 33 balls.
Du Plessis scored two sixes and a four in Jasprit Bumrah’s over however the pacer broke the dangerous partnership. Moeen Ali was caught behind, trying to play upper-cut.
Ali returned after scoring 58 off 36 balls with the help of five fours and as many sixes.
Du Plessis (50 off 28) and Suresh Raina (2 off 4) were scalped by Kieron Pollard in the 11th over to put CSK on backfoot.
After three quick dismissals, Ambati Rayudu and Ravindra Jadeja built a key partnership and smacked the Mumbai Indians bowlers in the death overs.
Rayudu hammered the bowlers with a strike rate of 266.67, scoring 72 off 27 with seven sixes and four boundaries. While Ravindra Jadeja scored run-a-ball 22 to power CSK to 218 in 20 overs.
Chasing a mammoth total against a quality side, Mumbai Indians had a perfect start to the innings. Skipper Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock took the calculated risks and took MI to 58 runs in powerplay without any loss.
Shardul Thakur in 8th over managed to break the partnership as Rohit Sharma departed after scoring 35 from 25.
In the very next over, Ravindra Jadeja picked up Suryakumar Yadav cheaply.
The wicket started to fall as Moeen Ali in the 10th over caught and bowled Quinton de Kock. The wicketkeeper-batsman returned after scoring 38 from 28 balls. Mumbai Indians were reduced to 81-3 in the span of three overs.
As soon as CSK tried to pull up the game, Krunal Pandya and Kieron Pollard came to the crease and accelerated the innings to cope-up with the piling run rate.
Pollard tonked Ravindra Jadeja for 20 runs in the 13th over with 3 giant sixes which embarked the arrival of giant storm at Arun Jaitley Stadium. The all rounder smacked the fastest half century of Vivo IPL 2021 in just 17 balls.
Both Krunal Pandya and Pollard took CSK bowlers over the cleaners as MI required 50 from the last four overs.
Sam Curran in the 17th over, trapped Krunal Pandya in a perfect yorker and brought CSK back into the game. Senior Pandya scored 32 off 23 hitting two fours and as many sixes.
Pollard took the game in the last over with Hardik Pandya playing his part. He scored 16 off 7 with two sixes.
MI required 16 off Lungi Ngidi’s final over. Pollard holding his nerves, capitalised on the full-tosses and creamed two fours and a six. Two runs were required off the final delivery and Pollard took MI to a massive win.
Kieron Pollard remained unbeaten on 87 from 37 balls with the help of eight towering sixes and six boundaries.
He was also adjudged as the “Man of the Match” after his match-winning all-round show. He picked up 2 wickets with the ball.
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