IPL 2020: Match 1, MI vs CSK – Chennai Super Kings Player Ratings

Chennai Super Kings (CSK), eventually, managed to cease their five-match losing streak against Rohit Sharma’s Mumbai Indians (MI). The team, led by MS Dhoni, won the opening game of the 2020 Indian Premier League (IPL) by five wickets.

The game went right down to the wire, but the Yellow Army chased down 163 with four balls to spare at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. After being put in to bat first, the Mumbai-based franchise put on 162 on the board with Saurabh Tiwary top-scoring for them.

While defending the score, they got the Super Kings on the mat with some early jolts. Nevertheless, Ambati Rayudu and Faf du Plessis staged an incredible comeback. Even as CSK walked away with the match in the end, MI’s opening-match woes continued.

Here are the CSK Player Ratings for the match-

Murali Vijay- 1/10

Murali Vijay had a game to forget. The veteran right-hander opened the batting and could only manage one run off seven balls. James Pattinson got rid of him in his very first over. Replays showed that the ball was sliding down the leg side, but Vijay didn’t go for the Decision Review System (DRS).

Shane Watson- 2.5/10

Shane Watson smashed Trent Boult for a four to kickstart CSK’s run-chase. However, the New Zealand speedster dismissed him in the first over itself. On the field, the former Australian cricketer took the important catch of Quinton de Kock, who was looking dangerous at 33 runs off 20 balls.

Faf du Plessis- 9/10

Faf du Plessis was in with a tough task after CSK lost Vijay and Watson’s early wickets. But he put his head down and churned out an unbeaten 55 off 44 with five fours. He was also involved in a 115-run stand with Ambati Rayudu. Faf also took two splendid catches of Saurabh Tiwary and Hardik Pandya.

Ambati Rayudu- 9.5/10

Ambati Rayudu was at his very best and was the primary reason behind CSK’s triumph in the opener. He scored 71 off 48 with six fours and three sixes. He seemed confident and even used his feet to Jasprit Bumrah. In the end, he got out to Rahul Chahar after putting his team on the driver’s seat.

MS Dhoni- 6/10

MS Dhoni didn’t have much to do in the game. He came to bat in the 19th over and played out a couple of dot balls. But as a keeper, he did his job with expertise. The 39-year-old took two catches to dismiss Kieron Pollard and Hardik. Yet again, he impressed one and all with his captaincy skills.

Kedar Jadhav- N/A

Ravindra Jadeja- 7/10

Ravindra Jadeja might have leaked runs at an economy of 10.50, but he played a crucial role in CSK’s victory. He got rid of Tiwary and Hardik at a stage when the duo was looking ominous. Then with the bat in hand, the Saurashtra cricketer smashed two fours to a crucial five-ball 10 in the death overs.

Piyush Chawla- 9/10

Piyush Chawla, playing his first game, didn’t disappoint by any stretch of the imagination. He gave CSK their first breakthrough, getting rid of Rohit Sharma in the powerplay. He was frugal and gave away only 21 runs in his quota of four overs. He also bowled 11 dots to keep the betters in check.

Deepak Chahar- 8/10

Deepak Chahar had a decent day with the ball in hand. The pacer, who recently recovered from COVID-19, got rid of Suryakumar Yadav and then picked up Trent Boult’s wicket at the death. He gave away 32 runs, but that’s understandable, bearing in mind the phases where he bowled.

Sam Curran- 8/10

Sam Curran wasn’t the standout performer, but it was his cameo of 18 off six balls that guided the Super Kings over the finishing line. He hit a four and two sixes and played at a strike-rate of 300. He also pinned Quinton de Kock and gave away only 28 runs at a decent economy rate of seven.

Lungi Ngidi-  8.5/10

Lungi Ngidi proved to be expensive in his first spell. Nevertheless, he managed to make amends in the death overs, pinning Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya and James Pattinson. Had he not picked up the late wickets, CSK would have ended up chasing 10 runs more than what they got as a target.