IPL 2019: Suryakumar Yadav, bowlers star for MI as CSK suffer first defeat

Mumbai: Mind-blowing catches, lightning-fast sixes and what not. The Mumbai Indians-Chennai Super Kings game in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) on Wednesday had almost everything.

MS Dhoni-led CSK suffered a rare defeat and the first of the season as an all-round MI beat the defending champions by 37 runs.

MI got off to yet another slow start, and that proved costly as Deepak Chahar struck in the third over to dismiss Quinton de Kock. And as always, the home fans had great expectations from captain Rohit Sharma, but was dismissed for 13 as Ravindra Jadeja joined the party.

Following the dismissal of Yuvraj Singh soon after, in came Krunal Pandya (42), who put up an important 62-run stand with half-centurion Suryakumar Yadav (59).

Krunal Pandya had just survived a scare earlier with Mohit Sharma dropping a catch off Dwayne Bravo’s ball when the MI batsman was on 17.

However, Mohit had something to celebrate later soon as he removed the 28-year-old Krunal, who was looking set to score a fifty.

All was not lost for the Men in Blue, though. Hardik Pandya (25) and Kieron Pollard (17) came to the hosts’ rescue to take them to a total of 170-5 while they were just 125-5 from 18 overs- meaning a mammoth 45 runs were scored the last 12 balls, 29 of which came from the last over bowled by Bravo.

In reply, the home fans were in for a visual treat. While IPL debutant Jason Behrendorff got Ambati Rayudu as his first victim in the very first over, Pollard showed why he is one of the best T20 fielders after claiming a stunning catch where he showed some scintillating fielding display.

Just when the CSK duo of MS Dhoni (12) and Kedar Jadhav (58) were taking the visitors back in the game, there was a huge roar from the MI fans as Suryakumar Yadav completed the catch at square leg, and Hardik Pandya celebrating his wicket.

From then on, fortunes turned the Mumbai way as Hardik picked up his second, with Ravindra Jadeja (1) finding Quinton de Kock behind the wickets.

Even though Jadhav played an innings of 58 from 54 balls, his effort was not enough for CSK to cross the finish line, as they suffered a rare defeat to the hands of their arch-rivals.