CSK vs MI Man of the Match: Who won MOTM Award at the Wankhede Stadium Today?

Chennai Super Kings have won their second Indian Premier League 2023 match in a row. On the contrary, Mumbai Indians have lost their second consecutive match after they failed to post a challenging first innings total after being asked to bat first by visiting captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni tonight.

Playing his first match for the franchise, Chennai batter Ajinkya Rahane‘s elegant and eye-catching half-century provided them a match-winning head-start in the form of a 44-ball 82-run second-wicket partnership alongside opening batter Ruturaj Gaikwad (40*).

Batting at No. 3 for the first time in almost a couple of years in an IPL match, Rahane hit seven fours and three sixes to register the fastest half-century of the season. Despite his class, Rahane has never been able to build a reputation for himself with respect to big-hitting skills. That said, the right-handed batter defied perceptions to score 61 (27) at a strike rate of 225.92.

Start of revival for Ajinkya Rahane…

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) April 8, 2023

Super Kings eventually managed to seal a 158-run chase with 7 wickets and 11 balls to spare in the match. In addition to Rahane and Gaikwad, all-rounder Shivam Dube also chipped in with 28 (26).

CSK vs MI Man of the Match

Mumbai openers Rohit Sharma (21) and Ishan Kishan (32) did hit eight fours and a six between them but less did they know that the middle-order would crumble against CSK’s spinners. Like-for-like left-arm spinners namely Mitchell Santner (2/28) and Ravindra Jadeja (3/20) dismissing half the opposition’s side for a combined of 48 runs in eight overs neutralized all the progress made by Sharma and Kishan.

While Jadeja sent Kishan, Cameron Green (12) and Tilak Varma (22) back to the dressing room, Santner accounted for Suryakumar Yadav (1) and Arshad Khan’s (2) wickets. With the two putting on display another instance of Dhoni’s masterly skills with respect to operating successfully with his spinners, it hurt the home team in their first home match of the season.

Pick of the bowlers across both the teams, Jadeja was rightly declared the Player of the Match during the post-match presentation ceremony. “When we were bowling, the odd ball was turning. So me and Mitch [Mitchell Santner] wanted to bowl in good areas because they have so many power hitters. We keep talking and advising each other,” Jadeja told Star Sports Network.

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

Read More