STATS HIGHLIGHTS
Follow UsIt hasn’t been the night of Champions. Chennai via their loss against Hyderabad in the first encounter lost their fourth match. To accompany them, Mumbai also lost their fourth match by seven wickets against Bangalore. Nine titles between Mumbai (5) and Chennai (4) and none of them are off the mark yet.
Chennai extend their losing streak
The vibes of 2020 are back for the defending champs. In fact, worse than the 2020 season. In the history of IPL, Chennai had never lost the first two matches. Now, at the end of their fourth match of the season, they are still winless.
In the IPL, they became the fourth team after the now-defunct Deccan Chargers in 2012, Delhi Capitals (Daredevils then) in 2013, Bangalore in 2019 and Mumbai in 2008 (4), 2014 (5), 2015 (4) and 2022 (4) to lose first four matches of an IPL season. Ravindra Jadeja has been the captain in all the four losses. He became the second captain after Aaron Finch in 2013 for the now-defunct Pune Warriors India, to lose all first four matches.
Mumbai struggling to find balance with new set-up
Just like Chennai, Mumbai are also in search of their first win of the season. However, unlike Chennai, Mumbai have suffered this miserable fate across numerous seasons, fourth to be precise. But, in most of the seasons, it has been after the mega auctions.
Till now, there have been five mega auctions, including the first in 2008. In the first season, Mumbai had lost the first four matches. The next mega auction happened in 2011 and they had a wonderful start to the season as they won three out of their first four. But, in 2014, they lost the first five matches and in 2018, they lost the first three matches out of the four. This season, they have lost four in four.
Williamson’s innings at snail’s pace
It is a well-known fact that Kane Williamson is the accumulator for Hyderabad. However, today’s innings would have sunk his team if Abhishek Sharma at one end wouldn’t have scored at a good pace. At the end of the powerplay, Williamson had scored only 10 runs off 21 balls. Among batters who have faced 20+ balls inside the powerplay, his strike rate of 47.6 was the third lowest.
In the end, Williamson was dismissed after playing 40 balls and there was no acceleration from his end. Among Hyderabad batters who have faced 35+ balls in an IPL innings, his strike rate of 80 is the lowest.
Abhishek finally steps up
In the mid innings interview in Star Sports, Tom Moody said he would want to give as many opportunities for Abhishek up the order. In his innings against Chennai, he proved why he was given chances at the top.
With Williamson struggling to score runs at one end, Abhishek took the initiative and went after the bowlers and registered a fifty of 32 balls. At the age of 21 years and 217 days, he became the second youngest Hyderabad batsman to hit a half-century in the IPL.
Fielding only two overseas players
As everyone knows, per match, four overseas players are allowed per team. However, there are lots of instances where teams have gone in with only three. But, two is a rarity and Mumbai in their match against Bangalore, became the third team to feat it.
Interestingly, this season itself, there have been two instances of team’s fielding only two overseas players. Delhi Capitals in their first match against Mumbai in this edition also played with two. The other instance came in 2011, when Kolkata Knight Riders fielded Jacques Kallis and Eoin Morgan against Chennai.
A slump in the middle overs
Mumbai were off to a good start as they scored 49 runs in the first six overs without the openers being separated. However, the wicket of their skipper, Rohit in the second ball of the seventh over triggered a collapse.
From 50/0 at 6.1 overs, Mumbai slumped to 6/80 at the end of 14 overs. After scoring 49/0 in the first six, Mumbai scored only 43 runs in the middle overs (7-15) and lost six wickets. In the IPL, only twice have they had a worse total than 43/6 in this phase. But, while batting first, this is the first time they have lost six wickets in overs between 7-15.
SKY’s third consecutive 50+ score in vain
If not for Suryakumar Yadav, Mumbai would have been in much deeper trouble. Coming into bat after the dismissal of Dewald Brevis, Suryakumar witnessed Mumbai batsmen collapsing like a house of cards.
Despite wickets falling at one end, Suryakumar was aggressive and smashed a half-century in 32 balls and registered his third successive 50+ score from Mumbai. He became the fourth Mumbai batsman in the IPL after Ishan Kishan, Sachin Tendulkar and Quinton de Kock, to hit three or more 50+ scores in succession. However, all his efforts were in vain.
A crucial seventh wicket high
At the end of the 14th over, Surykumar was the only recognized batsman left for Mumbai. Though Jaydev Unadkat had the capacity to block around, with six overs left, it was a tough task. However, he stood along and forged an unbeaten 72-run partnership with Suryakumar for the seventh wicket. This partnership, helped Mumbai to reach a score of 151, a respectable total that looked distant at one time. The 72-run partnership is the highest ever seventh partnership in the first innings of an IPL match.
A sedate start
Chasing an average target of 152, Bangalore openers were off to a careful, but slow start. Anuj Rawat and Faf du Plessis were unseparated throughout the first six overs, which covers the careful part. But, even after not losing a wicket, Bangalore posted only 30 runs in the first six.
Faf was the main reason behind their slow start. In the 16 deliveries he faced in the powerplay, he scored only six runs. In the IPL, only two teams, Pune (27/0) in 2013 against Hyderabad and Mumbai (29/0) in 2008 against Rajasthan Royals have scored lower in the first six overs after not losing a wicket throughout. Bangalore have scored 30/0 twice, once against Pune in 2013 and another today, the joint third lowest.
