IPL Qualifier 1 | Player Ratings - Suryakumar Yadav rises to occasion as Mumbai Indians enter final by beating Chennai Super Kings
Mumbai Indians became the first team to qualify for the final after they made Chennai Super Kings their bunny at Chepauk, keeping a decade-long affair in Chennai alive. Rahul Chahar also bowled brilliantly to account for a couple of wickets, but most importantly, gave away just 14 runs.
Quinton de Kock (2.5/10): While the ball was turning and CSK spinners were in full might, I will stick my neck out and say it was Quinton de Kock’s inability to understand the trap that resulted in his dismissal. Putting the long off back is always the percentage option on a turning track to deceive a left-handed batsman and de Kock still opted for an inside-out hit and was gone for 8. Too easy, QDK, too easy!
Rohit Sharma (4/10): The Mumbai skipper was pinned to the crease against a Deepak Chahar outswinger, and was dismissed for a two-ball four after hitting a boundary on the very first ball he faced. The lack of feet movement was absolutely zero and the application literally non-existent. However, he should be credited to throw the ball to Rahul Chahar to bowl the 17th over while most captains would’ve gone for a Malinga-Bumrah-Malinga-Bumrah equation. That audacity gives him a couple of more points than what I initially thought to give him.Â
Suryakumar Yadav (8/10): More than a classy one, this innings by Suryakumar Yadav was an ode to his game sense and the patience that he has in abundance. Knowing the target was gettable, he played a smart innings where he used his feet to get to the pitch of the ball which allowed him to hit against the turn. The 71-run innings not only helped the side reach the final, it also ensured that the team had a bankable player against the spinners in the middle overs.
Ishan Kishan (5.5/10): It was a short yet impactful innings by the Mumbai Indians middle-order bat as he didn’t lose the patience while ensuring that Yadav had enough downtime to set his eyes in. His 28-run innings was as impactful as Krunal Pandya’s bowling display and one of the reasons why Mumbai safely reached the final.Â
Hardik Pandya (5/10): It is always good for Mumbai if they need the least contribution from Hardik Pandya because that means everything is alright. The all-rounder had conceded just 13 runs in two overs and bettered that by one run with the bat to guide Mumbai over the line. Nothing much to write about the performance, but Hardik wouldn’t mind that too.Â
Krunal Pandya (5/10): With Rahul Chahar being economical and picking wickets from one end, Krunal Pandya also opted to go for the same angle. He had a lot of right-handed batsmen to go for and CSK, more often than not, goes for a slow scoring pattern in the powerplay, Krunal bowled in the powerplay to power the team in the right direction. He conceded just five runs in the 15th over and even though he bagged a golden duck, he played his part decently well.
Kieron Pollard (6/10): It was interesting that Kieron Pollard was held back as Mumbai decided to promote Krunal Pandya yet again, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t a valuable commodity for the team tonight. His colossal presence at deep mid-wicket resulted in the Chennai batsmen becoming more conscious and tried avoiding that zone altogether.Â
Jayant Yadav (5/10): There was a contrasting reaction on offer for Jayant Yadav’s selection ahead of Mayank Markande as MS Dhoni found wanting against the off-spinners more than he did against the wrist-spinners. Before today, Dhoni had scored 60 off 47 balls against leg-spin this season, without being dismissed, but against finger spinners, he's struggled a fair bit and scored only 31 off 44 balls being dismissed once as well. While that tactic failed and Dhoni milked him for 15 runs in his third over, Yadav should be credited for dismissing Suresh Raina and taking a stunning catch in the deep.Â
Rahul Chahar (8/10): “Rahul.. Naam to suna hi hoga” - Had it not been delivered by the more famous on-screen Rahul, then the Junior Chahar could’ve made this his own cult line and bragged in front of Chennai audience and had his moment of deliverance. Against Faf, he gave a fair amount of width, which got some extra bounce, and as a consequence he found his first wicket tonight. The leg-spinner, now, is doing exactly the same thing that Krunal Pandya used to do for them a couple of years ago on a regular basis - breaking wickets for fun. On top of that, the Rajasthan leggie conceded just 14 runs in four overs.Â
Jasprit Bumrah(5.5/10): Chances come, chances go at all levels of cricket, but how a cricketer responds to that moment of luck defined the character of the individual. Jasprit Bumrah had MS Dhoni caught on a no ball on the first delivery of the 20th over and going by the incredible stats that the CSK skipper has, it would’ve been the final nail in the coffin for Mumbai Indians. However, Bumrah responded to that moment with vigour and elan and ensured that he would only concede a total of nine runs in that over. Notwithstanding the fact that, his other three overs had him spent 22 runs, it was a performance worth an applause.Â
Lasith Malinga(3/10): Probably, it is the time. The ego-fuelled Ninjutsu 96mph yorkers were the things of the past and Malinga could well serve his time as a mentor to a talented bunch of bowlers in the Mumbai set-up. Whilst it could be argued that the pitch was turning and there was no assistance for pacers, nothing can justify why Malinga was bowling from round the wicket with MS Dhoni being in sublime form. Â
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