CSK vs MI | Player Ratings: Lasith Malinga, Rohit Sharma’s brilliance help Mumbai Indians breach Chennai fortress
Rohit Sharma’s heroics and Lasith Malinga’s four-for helped Mumbai Indians capture the Chennai fortress by 46 runs. Prior to this game, Chennai Super Kings were unbeaten at home but a batting collapse in MS Dhoni’s absence shattered the record as the side folded for 109 while chasing 156.Â
Quinton de Kock (5.5/10): The southpaw resumed his innings from where he had left against Rajasthan Royals. The sound of the ball middling the bat was exquisite, but couldn’t flounder after an emphatic start. Had de Kock batted the entire powerplay overs, CSK bowlers would have had a nightmare at Chepauk. It is often said, when in form, one should make the most of it to cover up for the lean patch. De Kock won’t be too happy with his mode of dismissal as he failed to pick a slower delivery and ended up top-edging the ball. Â
Rohit Sharma (8.5/10): There was an opportunity in the absence of a few star CSK players and Rohit Sharma is not someone who would it go. After a couple of scores of 40 plus, this was Rohit’s first fifty this season. One thing was crystal clear, if Rohit Sharma gets it going, it will be a huge one from the MI skipper. He kept breaking the shackles with big strokes and also backed his flawless stroke-play to garner runs. He was dismissed while attempting to shift gears in the death overs, but this innings was a master-class. His return to form will infuse immense confidence in the MI dugout, especially, when the race to make it to the playoffs only getting tightened. Â
Evin Lewis (6/10): With De Kock’s early fall, Lewis provided the much-needed stability and steadied the MI ship alongside Rohit Sharma. He looked a little tentative initially but got his rhythm with every ball he faced. This was Lewis’ first game this season and needed to make it big in order to cement his spot in the line-up. Nevertheless, he played a good hand on a surface where batting looked difficult.Â
Krunal Pandya (6/10): Promoted up the order to maintain the left hand-right hand combination, Krunal’s failure only hampered MI’s progress. This was not the kind of a surface where batsman could attack from the word go. With the ball, his performance was contradictory. The ball was gripping and Krunal ensured he exploited the conditions to the fullest by scalping two wickets for seven in three overs. Â
Suryakumar Yadav (6/10): With Lewis taking guard at three, Suryakumar was pushed lower down the order as MI were looking to get quick runs on this tricky surface. He took a good catch to send Raina back right after Murali Vijay was dropped in the third over.Â
Hardik Pandya (6/10): MI were all set to witness yet another Hardik Pandya carnage at Chepauk. The stage was well set for him to go all guns blazing and squeeze as many runs as possible in death overs. However, the surface was a tough one to bat on and Pandya did all he could within his reach to get MI to a decent total. Such high has been the standards set by Hardik that a knock of 23 not out off 18 tonight looks absolutely mediocre. Pandya was a touch expensive with the ball but ended Raina’s run on the very first ball of his spell.  Â
Kieron Pollard (4.5/10): On a surface where spinners were making the ball talk, Pollard had a tough time in negotiating the CSK bowlers. His confidence took a beating after enduring five dot deliveries on a trot and found it hard to come back from there. He, somehow, managed to get bat on ball and milk two boundaries, but 13 off 12 does not demand more than 4.5 points.Â
Anukul Roy (5/10): MI is a fine combination of star-studded players and promising domestic talents. Players like Rohit, Bumrah, Anukul and Chahar along with international stars corroborates the belief. Roy marked a memorable debut with a wicket in his very first over and helped his side breach the Chennai fortress. He loses a point for dropping the Murali Vijay early on in the innings. Â
Rahul Chahar (7.5/10): It’s not an easy job to maintain the pressure when you’re rubbing shoulders with the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga and Hardik Pandya. But Chahar has managed to do more than what was expected out of him. The young leggie is debunking the myth of wrist-spinners being expensive customers in this format. Although the surface was conducive for spin bowling, he tightened the noose with immaculate line and length.Â
Lasith Malinga (6.5/10): A lion may get old, but never forgets to hunt! The saying stands incredibly true as far as Malinga is concerned. He was erratic to begin with, but a bowler of his calibre cannot be written off. He was fortunate to have Watson’s dismissal to his name but did well to break CSK’s spine by claiming three more. His expensive figures can be overlooked since he bagged four wickets to help MI register a massive win.  Â
Jasprit Bumrah (8/10): He is the No. 1 bowler for a reason. Unplayable to get away with the new ball and squeezes up the runs in the death, that is exactly how Bumrah operates. With every outing, Bumrah is only getting better and Rohit has made good use of his deadly skills. CSK looked clueless against Bumrah and no batsman even posed a threat leave alone dominating him in this encounter as he finished with two wickets for 10 in three overs.
