Hardik Pandya expensive again as CSK make early gains
Hardik Pandya’s return to the ball did not go to plan as Chennai Super Kings took him apart in his opening spell at Wankhede. He ended with 2-0-38-0, leaking 19 runs in his first over and never finding control after that.
Sanju Samson targeted him straightaway. There were boundaries through the off side, a pulled six over fine leg, and a few loose deliveries that invited punishment. Even when Hardik tried to go shorter or wider, the execution was off. A misjudged slower ball and a couple of high full tosses only added to the pressure.
It was a continuation of a worrying pattern for Mumbai Indians, who have struggled with expensive middle overs. Hardik himself had said earlier in the season, after the Punjab Kings match, that they needed to “cut down on overs that go for 20 runs an over”. This spell did exactly that kind of damage again.
Mumbai looked short of control in that phase, with field changes and discussions with Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma unable to stop the flow of runs. CSK took full advantage and kept the scoring rate high without taking undue risks.
MI win toss, but Rohit-Dhoni absence defines rare rivalry night
Mumbai Indians won the toss and chose to bowl first, but the bigger story was what the match was missing. For the first time in this rivalry since 2011, neither Rohit Sharma nor MS Dhoni featured in the same game.
Rohit was absent from the main MI drills during warm-ups and did not make the XI, while Dhoni missed out after a late fitness call. It is also the first time Dhoni has missed seven consecutive matches, underlining his ongoing fitness concerns.
Despite that, the crowd response stayed strong for CSK, especially for Ruturaj Gaikwad, who spoke about the “legend” Dhoni while acknowledging the support Chennai receive everywhere they play. MI, meanwhile, stuck to their plan of bowling first, hoping early conditions would help them control the game.
CSK – 5 over -64-1