Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav guide Mumbai Indians to an easy win over Chennai Super Kings – The Times of Bengal

Captain Rohit Sharma (76*) and Suryakumar Yadav (68*) dismantled the Chennai Super Kings bowling attack to lead Mumbai Indians to a dominant nine-wicket victory in a largely one-sided IPL clash on Sunday.

New Delhi: Captain Rohit Sharma (76*) and Suryakumar Yadav (68*) dismantled the Chennai Super Kings bowling attack to lead Mumbai Indians to a dominant nine-wicket victory in a largely one-sided IPL clash on Sunday.

Chasing a modest total, the home team encountered little resistance on a pitch suited for batting, comfortably reaching 177 for 1 with more than four overs remaining. The emphatic win propelled them up to sixth place on the points table.

Rohit took full advantage of the pacers’ short deliveries during the powerplay and handled the CSK spinners with ease, bringing up his first half-century of the season from 33 balls.

Rohit was in destructive form, ending unbeaten on 76 from 45 deliveries, which included four boundaries and six towering sixes.

Coming in as MI’s impact player, he set the tone early with a solid 63-run opening partnership during the powerplay — their most promising start in this IPL season — and maintained a scoring rate of 10 runs per over to keep the chase firmly under control.

CSK found it difficult to contain the former Mumbai captain, with their pace attack unable to create pressure and experienced spinners Ravichandran Ashwin (0/25) and Ravindra Jadeja (1/28) failing to get any real assistance from the pitch.

CSK brought in their most successful bowler, Noor Ahmad (0/36), surprisingly late — not until the 10th over — by which time Mumbai Indians were already cruising close to the 100-run mark without much trouble.

The match tilted heavily in MI’s favor when Noor was taken apart for 15 runs in the 14th over, with Suryakumar Yadav striking three consecutive boundaries off the left-arm spinner.

Despite a few close calls, Rohit’s explosive knock powered MI to their most comprehensive victory of the season and also marked his return to form after a series of modest outings.

At No. 3, Suryakumar delivered one of the cleanest and most commanding innings of this IPL, smashing 68 from just 30 balls, including five fours and six maximums. His ability to clear the leg-side ropes and his precise sweeps against spin stood out as highlights of the chase.

Suryakumar Yadav brought up his second half-century of the season in just 26 deliveries, as he stitched a match-winning partnership with Rohit Sharma for the second wicket. The duo added an unbeaten 114 runs off only 54 balls, sealing the victory with back-to-back sixes.

Earlier in the evening, Shivam Dube and Ravindra Jadeja played crucial knocks, while 17-year-old debutant Ayush Mhatre impressed with a lively innings to help Chennai Super Kings post 176 for 5.

Jadeja, promoted to No. 4 in the seventh over, scored his first fifty of the season — an unbeaten 53 off 35 balls, featuring four boundaries and two maximums — mirroring Dube’s effort of 50 from 32 deliveries, which included two fours and four sixes. Their efforts helped stabilise the innings after CSK looked to be faltering.

Mhatre provided early momentum with a quickfire 32 off 15 balls, laced with four fours and a pair of sixes, making an immediate impression in his first IPL appearance. However, Mumbai Indians pulled things back effectively with a disciplined effort with the ball.

Chennai Super Kings, who looked to be crumbling under mounting pressure, found stability through a crucial fourth-wicket partnership between Ravindra Jadeja and Shivam Dube, which gave them much-needed momentum in the latter half of the innings.

However, it was the young Ayush Mhatre who stole the spotlight. He drove the second delivery he faced straight past the bowler for a boundary, followed it up by flicking the next one over deep mid-wicket for a six, and then pulled the fourth ball emphatically into the crowd — all off Ashwani Kumar.

Mumbai Indians maintained control until the 13th over, with CSK limping to 92 for 3. But then Dube shifted gears. He launched Hardik Pandya for a six over midwicket, and later punished Trent Boult (0/43) by slapping a four and a towering six over fine leg, taking 15 runs from Boult’s third over as the pacer struggled with his accuracy.

The momentum firmly shifted in the 16th over when Ashwani Kumar faced the full force of CSK’s fightback, as Shivam Dube and Ravindra Jadeja hammered him for 24 runs, a flurry that featured three towering sixes and a boundary. The duo’s partnership proved vital, contributing 79 runs for the fourth wicket.