3. CSK vs MI, Chennai, April 6, 2013:
MI’s loyal fan base will always remember the 2013 campaign of the IPL as the season they clinched their first IPL trophy. In the tournament’s nascent stages, they won a crucial game against Chennai Super Kings, which made sure they eased through to the playoff stages. Ricky Ponting was captaining the side back then and opted to bat first.
Sachin Tendulkar, arguably the best batsman of all time, got out for a duck, and Ponting lost his wicket soon after. Dinesh Karthik hit a valuable knock of 37 before getting dismissed by Dwayne Bravo. Bravo’s countryman Pollard came to the fore for Mumbai and scored 57 off 38 balls in a high-pressure situation.
Chennai Super Kings’ top order failed to deliver once again, and it was down to MS Dhoni to pick them out of a deep hole once again. Dhoni, who was at the peak of his powers at the time, scored 51 runs in his 26-ball stay at the crease but fell victim to Munaf Patel’s trap, and that was the final nail in CSK’s coffin. Mumbai was victorious.
- Man of the Match: Kieron Pollard
- Result: MI won by 9 runs
