Dubai: Ever since the Indian Premier League (IPL) got postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. After five months the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) indefinitely postponed the 13th season of the Indian Premier League in the UAE. Even though the event is being hosted in the UAE, it has not dampened the excitement of fans. That brings us to the close of the first match of IPL 2020. where three time champion Chennai Super Kings beat Defending champion Mumbai Indians by 5 Wickets to get of the perfect start of the IPL 2020 at the Sheikh Zayed stadium in the UAE.
Let us look at all the match highlights:
Ambati Rayudu: Player of the match:
Ambati Rayudu smashed a 48-ball 71 to guide Chennai Super Kings to a comprehensive five-wicket win over defending champions Mumbai Indians in the opening match of the 13th IPL here on Saturday. Chasing 163 to win, Rayudu blasted six fours and three sixes in his innings.
MS Dhoni’s 100 win as CSK captain (Another feather in the cap for MS Dhoni) : Meanwhile, MS Dhoni sets an unique record in the Indian Premier League. The CSK captain has set a record of 100 catches, he took his 100th Indian Premier League (IPL) catch of Kieron Pollard to reach the milestone, when Chennai Super Kings (CSK) took on defending champions Mumbai Indians on opening match of IPL 2020 in the UAE.
Milestone Alert!
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) September 19, 2020
💯 catches for @msdhoni in the IPL 👏#Dream11IPL #MIvCSK pic.twitter.com/C1gl2i9jVy
Fifty for du Plessis: Fifty for du Plessis:
What a fantastic innings by Faf du Plessis. He played second fiddle to Rayudu when he was going about his business and has played a very good knock here. He played a well controlled half-century off 42 deliveries in this League.
FIFTY!
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) September 19, 2020
Faf du Plessis brings up a well controlled half-century off 42 deliveries.
This is his 13th IPL 50.#Dream11IPL #MIvCSK pic.twitter.com/2j2S1pf1nT
Piyush chawla’s first wicket for kkr against MI, His first wicket for CSK also against MI:
Piyush Chawla had got Gautam Gambhir baffled on IPL 2014, Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Mumbai Indians by 41 runs in the same stadium in the UAE. As now Chawla plays for CSK, once again he took his first wicket in the opening match of IPL 2020 against MI. Looks like Chennai Super Kings (CSK) leg spinner Piyush Chawla made changes to the list of leading wicket-takers in the IPL. CSK got the break when Piyush Chawla removed skipper Rohit in the fifth over.
Mumbai Indians is facing their sixth consecutive loss:
The best of the worst starts for defending champion Mumbai Indians(MI) for IPL 2020 in the UAE. After the loss on Saturday (September 19) against CSK Rohit Sharma-led team making it six time in a row facing their Consecutive loss. However Mumbai Indians have been the most successful franchise in the history of IPL having clinched four titles – 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019.
Empty stadium, no stadium access for media:
The fact that there is no crowds on the ground, because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that’s quite unusual for the players too. There was no live media coverage only post match press meet due to the strict health safety protocols put in place in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.
