MI's star batsman hammers 34-ball 87 not out to snatch last-ball win over CSK
MI's Kieron Pollard in full flight against CSK on Saturday. Pic/PTI
A blistering 34-ball 87 not out from Mumbai Indians’ big-hitter Kieron Pollard helped the defending champions overhaul a massive 218-4 by Chennai Super Kings and emerge victorious by four wickets at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday.
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Pollard hammered six fours and eight sixes, going at a strike rate of nearly 256, as MI earned a last-ball victory to finish on 219-6 after their stipulated 20 overs.
Earlier, the swashbuckling Ambati Rayudu blazed away to a 27-ball 72 as CSK amassed 82 runs in the last five overs to post an imposing 218-4.
Moeen Ali (58) and Faf du Plessis (5), too, struck blistering half-centuries after being asked to bat first. CSK lost opener Ruturaj Gaikwad (4) early but South African Du Plessis and England’s Moeen plundered runs at will during their 108-run second-wicket partnership.
Rayudu, who notched up his fifty in just 20 balls, went hammer and tongs with seven sixes and four fours during his stay in the middle. To start with, Du Plessis smashed Dhawal Kulkarni for a four and maximum, as CSK grabbed 11 runs in the second over.
Moeen on fire
Moeen also opened up his arms in the third over, hammering Trent Boult (1-42) for a maximum over backward square-leg and a boundary, as Chennai fetched 12 runs off it.
Moeen was the more aggressive of the two as CSK cantered to 49-1 after powerplay.
The southpaw kept playing his shots at will. Moeen, who used the pull shot to perfection and du Plessis, were brutal on leg-spinner Rahul Chahar (0-32), striking a six each in the ninth over, as CSK amassed 16 runs and raced to 77-1.
But Mumbai pegged back CSK by taking three quick wicketsfirst Bumrah dismissed Moeen in the 11th over and then Kieron Pollard removed Du Plessis and Suresh Raina (2) in successive balls in the 12th over, as CSK slipped to 116-4.
MI bowlers have an off day
Then the show belonged to Rayudu, who, along with Ravindra Jadeja (22 not out), added 102 runs for an unbroken fifth wicket in very little time. CSK scored 92 runs in the last six overs as all the MI bowlers experienced an off day in the field.
Brief scores
CSK 218-4 (A Rayudu 72*, M Ali 58, Du Plessis 50; K Pollard 2-12) lost to MI 219-6 (K Pollard 87*, De Kock 38, K Pandya 32; S Curran 3-34, M Ali 1-1)
by four wickets
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