As it happened: Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians, IPL 2022, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
By Andrew Miller and Karthik KrishnaswamyMumbai knock out CSK
It's official now. CSK are out of contention for a playoffs spot.
Tim David hastens Mumbai's march to victory, finishing it with a pair of mighty sixes off Moeen Ali in the 15th over. Mumbai win with 31 balls remaining, with Tilak Varma finishing unbeaten on a pleasing 34 off 32 balls.
A fast bowlers' match, to sum up, on a fast bowlers' pitch. CSK were never really going to recover after losing their first five wickets within the powerplay on a pitch like this, and even though they did well to hit back with the ball courtesy Mukesh Choudhary and Simarjeet Singh, Mumbai had the advantage of chasing, and chasing a small total at that.
"I asked the bowlers to show a lot of character, put the opposition under pressure and forget about the result," MS Dhoni says of the efforts of his new-ball pair. "I feel both the young fast bowlers bowled really well. As far as their contribution is concerned, I feel a game like this really helps them. It's something that they start believing in themselves."
A good positive to take out of a defeat like this, for sure, and an encouraging sign for next season. As for Mumbai, they get the two points from this game, and the encouragement from their fast bowlers' displays on this pitch - this will most likely be Mumbai's home pitch assuming (a massive assumption, for sure) Covid retreats further next season and the IPL goes back to being a multiple-venues tournament. And this sort of pitch plus this attack plus Jofra Archer... that would be most tasty indeed.