IPL 2021: Ruturaj Gaikwad sweeps Jasprit Bumrah for outrageous six

After a 139-day Covid-enforced hiatus, the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League resumed with arguably the most high-profile encounter between sides who have eight titles between them. Having called correctly at the toss against a Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya-less Mumbai Indians, CSK skipper MS Dhoni elected to bat; a decision that the team rued for the most part until a Ruturaj Gaikwad special bailed them out of severe trouble.

Things started rather ominously for the Super Kings, who were reduced to tatters inside the powerplay courtesy of some prodigious swing bowling of the New Zealand duo of Trent Boult and Adam Milne. Boult struck as early as the opening over of the encounter, as he had CSK’s saviour Faf du Plessis caught for a three-ball duck by Milne, who snuck a smart catch given the ball was travelling. Drawing cue from Boult, Milne struck in his opening over himself, as Moeen Ali toe-ended a short of a length ball to Manoj Tiwary, who effected a brilliant low catch in the covers to send back Moeen with an identical score as du Plessis.

Even before CSK could have gathered their breath back with a double assault, they were landed another blow as Ambati Rayudu had to walk back retired hurt after being hit by a nasty Milne short ball on his elbow. In to replace Rayudu, Suresh Raina(4 off 6) uglily hoicked Boult to point, losing both his wicket and a generous part of the bat in the process. To those who pinned their hopes on CSK’s perennial talisman MS Dhoni (5 off 3), fate had little to offer as the skipper ended up being the victim of a sensational catch in the deep by Boult off Milne, to leave his team situated at a precarious 24/4.

Watching the turmoil unfold from the other end, Ruturaj Gaikwad ensured to held his own end without doing anything silly, and he was given the much-needed support by Ravindra Jadeja, with whom he added 81 off 64 for the fifth wicket. Although Gaikwad’s wasn’t a chanceless knock – was dropped by Quinton de Kock when he was striking below run-a-ball – he made sure to exploit that life to the best of his team’s advantage, slamming a 58-ball 88, with no less than nine fours and four sixes to take his team to a score that was nowhere in sight at a stage.

Of the many scintillating strokes that his blistering knock comprised of, the one that stood out, in particular, was a sensational strike of Jasprit Bumrah on what was the last ball of the CSK innings. As Bumrah tried to york him, Gaikwad took a generous stride forward to convert the delivery into a full toss instead, before dispatching it into the night sky over square leg.

Gaikwad’s onslaught before a quick-fire 8-ball 23 from Dwayne Bravo meant that CSK recovered from 24/4 to post a competitive 157-run target for their rivals.