MS Dhoni sees Chennai Super Kings home as Mumbai Indians lose again

Dhoni smacked 16 from the final four balls of the CSK chase - bowled by Jaydev Unadkat - to secure a three-wicket victory for his side

Mumbai: Mumbai Indians 155-7, Chennai Super Kings 156-7 - Chennai Super Kings won by three wickets

Scorecard

MS Dhoni produced a trademark finish as Chennai Super Kings extended Mumbai Indians' losing start in this season's Indian Premier League to seven matches.

Dhoni smacked 16 from the final four balls of the CSK chase - bowled by Jaydev Unadkat - to secure a three-wicket victory for his side, who had been sloppy in the field and looked to be fading with the bat before their experienced wicketkeeper and Dwaine Pretorius provided the late momentum necessary to claim the win.

Earlier, Mumbai's total of 155 for 7, on a slow track at the DY Patil Stadium, was compiled despite ducks for Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan.

Left-arm seamer Mukesh Choudhary got rid of both India internationals as well as No.3 Dewald Brevis, as Mumbai slipped to 23 for 3.

There was fight in the middle order, particularly from the in-form Tilak Varma who made an unbeaten 51 from 43 deliveries, but the total was only ever modest, and would require a formidable bowling performance to defend.

^{Mumbai Indians have now lost all seven of their IPL matches in 2022 [screengrab/BCCI]}

Mumbai nearly got just that. Australian seamer Daniel Sams returned figures of 4 for 30 as Chennai never got ahead of the required rate, and when Ravindra Jadeja was dismissed by Riley Meredith, CSK still needed 51 from 4.2 overs with four wickets remaining.

At that stage, Mumbai may well have been favourites, but Pretorius hit 22 from 14 balls, including 12 off the penultimate over - bowled by Jasprit Bumrah - before Dhoni turned on the style at the death.

"Actually we were very tense, with the way the game was going, but at some stage we knew that the great finisher of the game was there and if he played to the last ball, he can definitely finish the match," CSK captain Jadeja said after the game, of Dhoni's dramatics.

"He showed the world that he's still here and he can finish the game."

Mumbai captain Sharma said: "If you lose three or a couple of wickets up front, it's always going to be tough.

"You're always playing that catching [up] game. But in the end we got to a very reasonable target where we thought with the ball we could put them under pressure. I thought until the last over, we had them under pressure. But in the end, MS and Pretorius, they were quite calm and got them home."

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