IPL 2023: Jadeja, Rahane rule as CSK make MI wait for its maiden season triumph; netizens appreciate rivalry

Former four-time champion Chennai Super Kings (CSK) produced an all-round performance to overpower former five-time record champion Mumbai Indians (MI) by seven wickets in Match 12 of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday, in the so-called El Clasico of the competition, with Ravindra Jadeja and Ajinkya Rahane playing pivotal roles in the win.

Winning the toss, CSK opted to bowl as MI openers Rohit Sharma (21) and Ishan Kishan (32) gave the side a decent start of 38 runs before pacer Tushar Deshpande cleaned up the former in the fourth over of the PowerPlay (PP). At the same time, it was the best partnership of its innings.

CATCH ALL IPL 2023 UPDATES HERE

Thereon, MI struggled to get a decent partnership going, with wickets tumbling almost every 20-plus-run stand. MI finished at a below-par total of 157/8, with Kishan being the top scorer for the side, followed by Tim David (31), the eighth wicket to fall in the 17th to Deshpande. For CSK, Jadeja bagged three, besides being the most economical of all.

In reply, although CSK lost Devon Conway (0) in the fourth delivery of the chase, bowled over by pacer Jason Behrendorff, opener Ruturaj Gaikwad (40*) and Ajinkya Rahane (61) tailored an 82-run partnership to ensure that the hosts did not attain an undue advantage over the visitors. While the latter brought up his 29th IPL half-century, which was the fastest for CSK against MI, in 19 balls, he was dismissed by veteran leg-spinner Piyush Chawla in the eighth.

ALSO READ: IPL 2023 - JAISWAL AND BUTTLER SHOW KEEPS RR UNBEATEN, DC STILL IN THE HUNT FOR MAIDEN SEASON SUCCESS

The dismissal hardly affected the visitors as they had already set up the platform for a fine chase. Gaikwad and Shivam Dube (28) added 43 for the third before the latter got his timber cluttered by chinaman wrist-spinner Kumar Kartikeya in the 15th, as the bowler happened to be CSK's Impact Player (IP), who replaced David.

Gaikwad and Ambati Rayudu (20*) took control for the remainder of the chase and got the job done comfortably by seven wickets, with 11 balls to spare. For MI, the three bowlers scalped a wicket each, whereas Kartikeya was the economic one.