Moeen Ali and Faf du Plessis played quickfire knocks of 58 and 50 as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) posted a score of 218/4 in the allotted twenty overs against Mumbai Indians in an Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter here at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday.
Along with Faf and Moeen, Ambati Rayudu provided the much-needed boost to the CSK lineup as he played a quickfire knock of 72 runs off just 27 balls. Ravindra Jadeja also chipped in with an innings of 22 runs. For Mumbai, Kieron Pollard returned with two wickets.
Asked to bat first, CSK got off to the worst start possible as the side lost its in-form opener Ruturaj Gaikwad (4) in the very first over as he was sent back to the pavilion by Trent Boult. Moeen then joined du Plessis in the middle and the duo took CSK's score to 49/1 at the end of the sixth over.
Moeen and Faf put together 108 runs for the second wicket and this stand saw CSK scoring runs at a brisk pace. The left-handed Moeen (58) was finally sent back to the pavilion by Jasprit Bumrah in the 11th over. In the very next over bowled by Pollard, CSK lost the wickets of du Plessis (50) and Suresh Raina (2), and the side was reduced to 116/4.
Rayudu and Jadeja joined forces in the middle and the duo did not let the momentum drop for CSK. The right-handed Rayudu took on the mantle of being aggressive and he kept dispatching Mumbai bowlers for constant boundaries and sixes. Both batsmen formed an unbeaten stand of 102 runs for the fifth wicket, and this also saw Bumrah conceding the most runs in his four-over spell in the IPL.
Bumrah went for 56 runs in his four overs. In the end, CSK posted a score of more than the 210-run mark. Rayudu's innings was studded with 4 fours and seven 6s.
Brief Scores: CSK 218/4 (Ambati Rayudu 72*, Moeen Ali 58, Kieron Pollard 2-12) vs Mumbai Indians.
( With inputs from ANI )
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