CHENNAI SUPER KINGS DEFEAT DEFENDING CHAMPIONS MUMBAI INDIANS, AS INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE RETURNES
Chennai were limited to 24-4, effectively 24-5, because of an injury to Ambati Rayudu in Dubai.
Opener Ruturaj Gaikwad fought through the innings for 88 not out from 58 balls to help them post a 156-6.
Mumbai could not recover from 37-3, closing on 136-8, to give Chennai victory by 20 runs.
Chennai captained by India legend MS Dhoni and with England all-rounder Moeen Ali in their side, join Delhi Capitals at the top of the table, having won six of their eight games.
The league has restarted in the United Arab Emirates having been postponed in May amid a surge of coronavirus cases in India.
Chennai are one of the league’s most successful teams behind Mumbai who has won it five-time and the Super Kings’ three. When the 2020 version of the league was held entirely in the United Arab Emirate, Chennai struggled and finished seventh in the eight-team table.
That struggle seems to continue when New Zealand pace pair Trent Boult and Adam Milne shared four wickets and Milne hit Rayudu on the elbow to effectively remove half of the batting line-up inside the six-over power play.
But Gaikwad rebuilt in a stand of 81 with Ravindra Jadeja, who made 26, before Dwayne Bravo blasted 23 from only eight balls, including three sixes.
Gaikwad, who was crucially dropped on 19 by wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock off the spin of Rahul Chahar, ended with four maximums, as Chennai fought back to post a total way out of reach of Mumbai.
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