CHENNAI: In many ways, the stage was perfectly set.
With four balls left in the innings, a struggling Daryl Mitchell took the long walk back up the stairs to the Wankhede dressing room. But not one fan from the stands was bothered. The moment they were waiting for was there. MS Dhoni walked out to bat in Chennai Super Kings colours, probably for one last time at the ground where he won the World Cup for India 13 years ago, with the crowd bringing down the roof. The noise from the stands probably was heard at the MI team hotel — Trident, just down the road from the stadium.
At that point, CSK were 186/4. Mumbai Indians’ Hardik Pandya, till then, had gotten away with ordinary bowling against Mitchell who was hit his way into form. But this is Dhoni. Even at 42, there are not many who could pounce on anything that is in the slot like he does. And Hardik bowled exactly where Dhoni wanted — a length delivery that was sent into the stands. The noise and chants only grew louder as Dhoni went on to hit two more sixes, taking CSK to 206/4 in 20 overs. Dhoni’s finishing touch, in the end, proved to be the difference-maker as Mumbai lost by 20 runs. Rohit Sharma put the hosts in the game until the death with a brilliant century but he couldn’t find sustained support from the other end.
Earlier, ff Dhoni’s unbeaten 20 off four balls gave the finishing touch, it was Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shivam Dube who set the stage for Chennai. Kept as the No. 3 for the match — a tactical call perhaps — Gaikwad started off in his usual fashion, picking up three boundaries in a Gerald Coetzee over.
While he slowed down a little post-powerplay, once joined by Dube, Gaikwad kept the momentum going. Together, they ensured at least one boundary per over, while going after the weak links — Hardik, Akash Madwal and Romario Shepherd. Gaikwad got out for 69 from 40 balls, but Dube kept it going. He played Jasprit Bumrah with caution while taking on others on his way to an unbeaten 66 from 38 balls.
Once Mitchell, too, fell for 17 runs from 14 balls, Dhoni did the rest.
Brief scores: Chennai Super Kings 206/4 in 20 ovs (Ravindra 21, Gaikwad 69, Dube 66 n.o, Dhoni 20 n.o) bt Mumbai Indians 186/6 in 20 ovs (Rohit 105 n.o, Tilak 31).