The great fall of Chennai Super Kings

With the embarrassing loss, CSK are all but out of reckoning for the playoffs with just six points from 11 games, while MI jumped to the top spot with 14 points from 10 matches

Sharjah: Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah’s devastating pace-bowling spell in tandem before Ishan Kishan’s batting heroics helped Mumbai Indians post a comprehensive 10-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings in a completely lop-sided IPL match here on Friday.

With the embarrassing loss, CSK are all but out of reckoning for the playoffs with just six points from 11 games, while MI jumped to the top spot with 14 points from 10 matches. Bowling in tandem, Boult (4/18) and Bumrah (2/25) reduced CSK to 21 for 5 inside powerplay with three and two wickets respectively and CSK never recovered from there, limping to 114 for 9, largely thanks to Sam Curran’s 52.

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Chasing 115 for a win, Kishan (68 not out), opening in place of regular skipper Rohit Sharma who missed out due to a hamstring injury, and Quinton de Kock (46 not out) knocked off the required runs in just 12.2 overs. The duo toyed with the CSK bowling attack on a dreadful day for the MS Dhoni-led side to carry their bats through the innings.

The left-handed Kishan, who has not had a substantial score after his knock of 99 against Royal Challengers Bangalore, was at his attacking best as he smashed six fours and five sixes during his 37-ball innings. The South African de Kock played second fiddle during his 37-ball innings which had five fours and two sixes.

Earlier, Curran mixed caution with aggression to top-score with 52 (47 balls, 4 fours, 2 sixes) in an otherwise pathetic display by CSK batsmen. Boult eventually picked up four wickets for 18 runs, 13 of those coming in the final over. Bumrah (2/25) and leg-spinner Rahul Chahar (2/22) picked up two wickets each while Nathan Coulter-Nile ended with 1 for 25.

Incidentally, Curran’s 43-run partnership for the ninth wicket with Imran Tahir (13 not out) was the highest partnership of the CSK innings which showed the rest of the batsmen in poor light. CSK had a horror start and slipped to 3 for 3 after two overs and lost two more wickets before the powerplay ended.

It all started with Ruturaj Gaikwad, back into the side, being trapped LBW in the opening over bowled by Boult for a duck. Ambati Rayudu fell to a short ball from Bumrah, gloving an easy catch to de Kock. N Jagadeesan followed him to the pavilion off the next ball, poking at one to be caught by Suryakumar Yadav.

Faf du Plessis, the only CSK to batsman to shine this season so far, edged one to give de Kock his second catch of the night. Skipper Dhoni’s (16) poor run continued as he fell to leggie Rahul Chahar while going for a big one off a tossed-up delivery after having smacked a six of the previous ball. Ravindra Jadeja (7) hit a boundary before pulling one straight to Krunal Pandya at mid-wicket to give Boult his third wicket and leave CSK in tatters at 21 for 5.