The first match of IPL 2018, between Chennai Super Kings, returning after a 2 year ban and Mumbai Indians, began with the Dhoni lead CSK winning the toss, and electing to bowl first. While Mumbai began tenaciously, with both the openers Lewis and Skipper Rohit Sharma, falling cheaply, but was resurrected, thanks to the middle order coming to the rescue, with Ishan Kishan (40), Yadav (43), and Krunal Pandya (41) chipping in with valuable 40s, taking Mumbai Indians, to a respectable 165/4 off the 20 overs.
After a slow yet steady beginning, Chennai Super Kings lost its openers Watson and Rayudu in quick succession, with Hardik Pandya dismissing Raina too cheaply, adding further damage. With captain cool MS Dhoni, Jadeja and the lower order failing to contribute much to the total,began Dwayne Bravo's lone war against the Mumbai Indians bowlers, as Kedhar Jadhav had to retire hurt.
At a point, CSK was 119/8, with 47 more needed of 18 balls, and that was when Bravo launched a massive onslaught, smashing boundaries and sixers allover the park, hitting 2 massive sixes and fours,scoring 20 runs off the 18th over, and in the 19th over, after 3 more sixes, fell to Bumrah after bringing the match so close to a CSK victory, and finally fell after a valiant knock of a swashbuckling 68 (30, 3x4,7x6), and the last over had CSK wanting 7 runs off 6 balls, returned the injured Kedhar Jadhav(24*), who scored a six and a four back to back after 3 dot balls initially, to take CSK home to victory, in the nailbiting thriller.
