Captain Rohit Sharma led from the front with an unbeaten half-century as Mumbai Indians finally returned to winning ways by beating table toppers Chennai Super Kings by eight wickets at Pune.


Mumbai knocked off the 170-run target with eight wickets and two balls to spare. The defending champions rose to No. 6 in the points table on the back of this victory.


But what mattered for the owners and captain Rohit Sharma, is a win, which took a long time coming.



It was a well-planned chase, Mumbai were always one-step ahead of the run chase because they wickets in hand. The more than 10 runs per over run rate was always achievable with the likes of Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya batting in the middle.


The chase began with a stunning opening partnership between Evin Lewis and Suryakumar Yadav, who put together a 69-run stand for the first wicket.


Captain Rohit Sharma promoted himself to No. 3 and anchored the chase after the brilliant opening stand. He first joined hands with Lewis (47) and Hardik Pandya (13) to knock the target off.


Rohit remained unbeaten on 56 off 33 balls with two sixes and six boundaries.


Chennai Super Kings innings


Suresh Raina's unbeaten half-century took Chennai Super Kings to 169 for 5, batting first against Mumbai Indians at Pune.


Raina (75 off 47 balls), who had missed a couple of matches due to a calf injury,  hit the fences six times and blasted four sixes in his unconquered innings after Ambati Rayudu (46 off 35 balls) continued his impressive run and set the foundation for Chennai at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium.


Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni also chipped in with 26 off 21 balls which was studded three boundaries and a six but Mumbai Indians bowled well in the death overs to restrict them within 170 in the end.


Mitchell McClenaghan (2/26) and Krunal Pandya (2/32) were the pick of the bowlers for Mumbai, while Hardik Pandya (1/39) also scalped one wicket.


Put into bat, Ambati Rayudu gave a flying start to Chennai after opening his innings with a six off McClenaghan in the third ball. His partner Shane Watson, however, couldn't stay long as his attemped slog sweep off spinner Krunal landed on the safe hands of Mayank Markande at square leg.


Raina then joined Rayudu and the duo blasted a six each to accumate 15 runs off the over as CSK scored 39-1 in 5 overs. The Mumbaikar then sent the ball soaring over the ropes and hit a four to take his team across the 50-mark in the powerplay overs.


Raina sent Krunal across the ropes in the next over, before young spin sensation Markande was introduced and he bowled a tight over.


Ben Cutting was next introduced into the attack and Rayudu smacked him over long-on, while Raina punched him across extra cover to accumulate 14 runs and complete their 50-run partnership.


Markande was next in line for Raina as he sent him for a boundary over his head before sending the ball sailing over long-on as CSK scored 91 for 1 off 10 overs.


In the 12th over, Krunal dismissed the dangerous Rayudu when he tried to clear the ropes with a sweep shot but ended up hitting straight to Cutting at deep midwicket.


Hero of CSK's last match, skipper Dhoni then joined Raina in the middle as CSK crossed the 100-mark in the 13th over bowled by Bumrah, who gave just one run.


In the 15th over, Dhoni smashed Hardik for back-to-back boundaries and then slammed Markande for an inside-out shot across the cover boundaries before depositing him over long-on.


Bumrah then came back for his second spell and Raina sent him across the short fine leg boundary and then flicked another one for another four to complete his half-century.


McClenaghan then returned to remove Dhoni, who ended up giving an easy catch to Evin Lewis at deep cover as CSK slipped to 143-3 in 17.1 overs. One ball later, newman Dwayne Bravo was also sent packing with Markande taking the catch at point.


Raina then smashed Bumrah over deep midwicket to take CSK across the 150-mark. Sam Billing also tried to scrore big but ended up hitting straight to cutting at long-on. Eventually, Raina ended the innings with a six off the last ball.


Toss Report


Mumbai Indians won the toss and invited Chennai Super Kings to bat first in match No. 27 of the eleventh edition of IPL at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.


There are two changes in the Mumbai Indians squad and both are very significant ones. The out of form Pollard makes way for Duminy, who will play his first match in this IPL. Australian all-rounder has been drafted in place of the fizz Mustafizur Raman


“It's a good pitch. Pitch doesn't change through the course of forty overs. First and foremost our job is to enjoy. That was missing in last few games. Today is the perfect platform for us. It's important to take one game at a time. Important to come out here and understand what we need to do,” Said Rohit at toss time.


Table toppers Chennai Super Kings have gone in with the same playing XI that scripted a superb last over win over Royal Challengers Bangalore the other night.


“Same wicket and it got a bit of rest. Will be quite the same. Second innings last game there was bit of variable bounce, not too much. Would have bowled first too,” said Dhoni.


Mumbai Indians (Playing XI): Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Ishan Kishan(w), Rohit Sharma(c), Jean-Paul Duminy, Krunal Pandya, Hardik Pandya, Ben Cutting, Mitchell McClenaghan, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah


Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Sam Billings, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni(w/c), Dwayne Bravo, Harbhajan Singh, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Imran Tahir