Vintage Rohit helps MI beat Chennai

Skipper Rohit Sharma (76 not out) and Suryakumar Yadav (68 not out) tore apart Chennai Super Kings to hand Mumbai Indians a commanding nine-wicket win in a one-sided IPL match here on Sunday. Chasing a below-par target, the hosts faced absolutely no difficulties on a batting-friendly surface in swatting away the challenge as they went over the line making 177/1 to win by more than four overs to spare.

Rohit capitalised on anything short from the pacers in the powerplay and swept with command against the CSK spinners to notch up his maiden fifty of the season, which came off 33 balls.

On a six-hitting spree, Rohit finished at 76 not out off 45 balls with four fours and six hits over the fence. MI’s impact substitute Rohit laid the foundation with a robust 63-run stand for the first wicket in the powerplay and ensured the hosts remained on track for a big win keeping them at a scoring rate of 10 per over. For CSK, it was a challenge stopping the former MI skipper in his tracks especially with their seamers failing to make any impact and seasoned spinners in Ravichandran Ashwin (0/25) and Ravindra Jadeja (1/28) not able to extract anything off the surface either.

Suryakumar (68 off 30 balls, 5 fours and 6 sixes) produced the most fluent knock in this season with the No. 3 batter being immaculate in clearing the leg-side boundaries as well as with his compelling sweep shots against the spinners. His second fifty of the season came off 26 balls as Suryakumar forged a match-winning stand with Rohit for the second wicket to add 114 unbeaten runs off only 54 balls, finishing the game with two consecutive sixes.

Earlier, Shivam Dube and Ravindra Jadeja struck vital half-centuries while 17-year-old debutant Ayush Mhatre dazzled to guide Chennai Super Kings to 176/5. Sent in at No. 4 as early as in the seventh over, Jadeja (53 not out off 35 balls) hit his maiden fifty of the season and forged a crucial stand with Dube (50 off 32 balls) to lift CSK. Mhatre gave CSK the impetus early on with a 15-ball 32.

Brief scores: Chennai Super Kings: 176/5 in 20 overs (Jadeja 53*, Dube 50, Mhatre 32; Bumrah 2/25); Mumbai Indians: 177/1 in 15.4 overs (Rohit 76*, Suryakumar 68*).

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