The clash of the two biggest teams in the history of IPL lived up to the expectations as MS Dhoni finished it off in style yet again by scoring a four off the last ball of the innings. The match was full of fielding errors and was eventually won by the side that made the most misfields. The match quality wasn’t high, but the sparks flew high as we look at some key moments from match 33 of the 2022 IPL between MI and CSK.
MI’s opening woes
The opening pair of MI is the most expensive batting pair in the history of IPL. In Rohit Sharma, MI have one of the biggest T20 stars in the world whereas Ishan Kishan, his opening partner, is pocket dynamite. Despite this, their returns this season have been disappointing. The opening pair has crossed the 50-run mark twice but has scored less than 17 runs in four innings.
In seven matches so far, they have added 185 runs at a run rate of 7.12. These are ordinary returns from a pair that has a history of putting the opposition under pressure right from the first over. Against CSK, they had their worst outing, with both openers back in the hut in the first over of the innings without either of them troubling the scorers.
Their poor form has directly reflected on MI’s worst ever season in IPL, where they have now become the first team to lose their first seven games of the season. If MI want to change their fortunes, their openers need to start delivering.
Mukesh Choudhary in Powerplay
Mukesh Choudhary has had a mixed IPL so far. The inexperienced left-arm bowler has been tasked with opening the bowling in the absence of Deepak Chahar. Choudhary doesn’t bowl at a high pace and lacks potent variations, which makes him vulnerable in the death overs.
Before this game, Choudhary’s economy rate at the death was 18 RPO. However, despite not being that impressive, his returns in the Powerplay paint a much better picture. In five matches before the game against MI, Choudhary picked up three wickets in the Powerplay at 9.17 RPO.
Choudhary’s high economy rate has a lot to do with his lengths upfront. By bowling slightly short, he didn’t give himself a chance to swing the new ball and make the most of it. However, against MI, he was spot on, pitching the ball right in the good length and a bit full of good length and immediately got rewarded by the wickets of Sharma and Kishan in the very first over. Mukesh Choudhary’s Powerplay figures look much better now after his ‘Player-of-the-match’ spell.
Dhoni vs Unadkat
Before this game, MS Dhoni had faced Jaydev Unadkat in seven T20s, scoring 83 runs at a strike rate of 230.6. This was a match-up that most captains should be aware of, especially the bowling team’s captain. Despite that, Rohit Sharma kept Unadkat for the last over against Dhoni. The end result was what many fans predicted and hoped for.
Unadkat didn’t bowl too badly in the last over except for the third ball, which he bowled right into Dhoni’s hitting arc outside off. But when someone is bowling against Dhoni, irrespective of his age and declining skills, Dhoni is usually the favourite to win that battle. That battle is rarely one of the skills, it is a battle of nerves.
Unadkat doesn’t have the raw pace to hurry Dhoni and push him back. Perhaps Sharma could’ve saved an over from Meredith, whose high pace not only rushes the batter, but the drop in pace in a slower ball is much more prominent.
MI have dug a very deep hole for themselves, and they keep sinking further. CSK, despite not being at their best, have now managed two wins and keep themselves alive in the IPL.