IPL cricket: Chennai Super Kings beat Mumbai Indians by five wickets

By PNI Admin On Sep 20, 2020

Abu Dhabi: CSK player Faf du Plessis plays a shot during the first cricket match of IPL 2020 against Mumbai Indians, at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, UAE, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020. (PTI Photo/Sportzpics)(PTI19-09-2020_000252B)

Dubai: Dhoni- led Chennai Super Kings beat defending champions Mumbai Indians by five wickets in the opening game of the 13th edition of Indian Premier League in Abu Dhabi last night.

Chasing 163 runs to win, Chennai overhauled the target with four balls to spare, finishing at 166 for five in 19.2 overs. Ambati Rayudu smashed 71 runs off 48 balls, while Faf du Plessis cracked 58 off 44 balls to help ‘Yellow Brigade’ register an easy win over the reigning champions.

Earlier, put into bat, Mumbai Indians posted 162 for nine in 20 overs. Saurabh Tiwary with 42 runs off 31 balls and Quinton de Kock with 33 off 20 balls made valuable contributions for Mumbai. Chennai bowlers Lungi Ngidi who scalped three wickets and Deepak Chahar and Ravindra Jadeja with two wickets each helped restrict Rohit Sharma-led side to 162.

The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League kicked off in Abu Dhabi yesterday after a long wait due to an outbreak of coronavirus pandemic. The 53-day tournament has been shifted to the UAE due to COVID-19 and can be watched on TV and online streaming platforms only. In all, 60 matches will be played in three venues- Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai.