IPL 2021, CSK vs MI: Player Ratings as MS Dhoni's men pull off incredible comeback win

The Mumbai Indians' (MI) starting woes in the Indian Premier League (IPL) continued as the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) overcame a nightmare start to clinch a 20-run win in Dubai. With the win, CSK moved to the top of the IPL 2021 points table by virtue of having a better net run rate than the Delhi Capitals.

After winning the toss and electing to bat first, MS Dhoni saw his team reduced to 24/4 in the powerplay. Ambati Rayudu retired hurt with an arm injury as well, leaving CSK with a herculean task to revive the innings. They did just that, though, as Ruturaj Gaikwad's stellar 88-run knock helped them reach a par total of 156/6.

In response, MI were pegged back early by Deepak Chahar before the CSK bowlers continued to chip away at the wickets. Josh Hazlewood scalped the crucial wicket of Kieron Pollard in the 14th over to effectively drill the final nail in the MI coffin.

Here are the player ratings of both CSK and MI from the opening game of IPL 2021's second phase.

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IPL 2021: CSK player ratings vs MI as Gaikwad steals the show

Ruturaj Gaikwad: 9/10

Gaikwad continued from where he left off in IPL 2021 as he notched up a brilliant unbeaten 88 to take CSK to a fighting total. As the rest of the top order crumbled around him, he patiently saw off the new ball before taking the attack to the spinners. The 24-year-old unfurled a few delightful shots towards the end of his innings, showcasing his immense class in his first IPL innings as a capped Indian player. A dropped catch in the second innings was a small aberration as Gaikwad walked away with the Man of the Match award.

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Faf du Plessis: 3/10

Du Plessis passed a late fitness test to be included in CSK's playing XI, but he lasted just three balls before being dismissed by Trent Boult. The South African took a safe catch to dismiss Suryakumar Yadav and made a few fine stops in the field.

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Moeen Ali: 6/10

Ali walked in at the No. 3 position where he has excelled this season, but he couldn't make an impact in Dubai. Like Du Plessis, the slowness of the surface brought about his downfall as he tried to hit Adam Milne on the up. Although Ali too bagged a three-ball duck, he made up for it with an excellent three-over spell, over the course of which he didn't bowl any loose deliveries and conceded only 16 runs.

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Ambati Rayudu: 1/10

Rayudu came in at No. 4 ahead of Raina without much match practice under his belt, and the rust was there to see in the three balls he faced. After being hustled by the extra pace of Milne, he was rapped on the arm by an incoming short ball from the Kiwi quick. Rayudu retired hurt and played no further part in the match, but MS Dhoni expressed optimism about the injury in the post-match press conference.

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Suresh Raina: 1/10

Raina's innings can only be described as woeful. The familiar short-ball ploy got the CSK vice-captain second guessing every delivery, and while he edged one away for four, another wild slog saw him dismissed for just 4 by Boult. Raina looked completely out of sorts in the middle, although he did take a couple of smart catches in the second innings.

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MS Dhoni: 4/10

Dhoni might consider his dismissal for 3 off 5 slightly unlucky as he timed one sweetly off Milne straight to Boult at deep square leg. The CSK skipper was expectedly brilliant with his captaincy as he set cunning fields and affected smart bowling changes to keep the MI batsmen guessing. A communication mishap led to a dropped catch, but it was a near-perfect second innings for Dhoni.

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Ravindra Jadeja: 5/10

Jadeja has been in excellent batting form over the past two years, but he wasn't able to play freely against MI. He labored to 26 off 33 as he attempted to reconstruct the innings with Gaikwad before being deceived by a slower ball from Jasprit Bumrah. The southpaw could've arguably stepped on the gas earlier, but the runs he made were crucial for CSK. The only over he bowled went for 13 as Kieron Pollard and Saurabh Tiwary hit him for a six and a four respectively.

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Dwayne Bravo: 9.5/10

Bravo turned back the clock to produce a vintage display, smashing three sixes in an eight-ball knock that injected massive momentum towards the end of the CSK innings. He was even better with the ball as he scalped three wickets while conceding only 25 runs. CSK will be greatly pleased with the performance of their key all-rounder, who was under an injury cloud ahead of the game.

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Deepak Chahar: 8.5/10

Chahar once again set the tone in the powerplay as he dismissed Quinton de Kock with an inswinger and followed it up by bamboozling Anmolpreet Singh with a brilliant knuckle ball. He should've had another wicket when he forced Saurabh Tiwary into a false shot, only to see Dhoni and Bravo make a meal of it. Cramps didn't prevent Chahar from bowling out his quota for the cost of just 19 runs.

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Shardul Thakur : 7.5/10

Thakur had only one over to bowl in the powerplay after Josh Hazlewood was taken for a few runs and he made the most of it by picking up the key wicket of Suryakumar Yadav. He bowled tight lengths for most of his spell, and although his final over was expensive, he gave a good account of himself.

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Josh Hazlewood: 7/10

Hazlewood's overs in the powerplay were a nightmare, with De Kock and Anmolpreet finding the boundary at will against him. He saw Gaikwad drop a catch off his bowling, but he really should've been tighter at the stage of the innings where he is expected to be at his best. The Aussie came back brilliantly in the second half of the innings as he trapped Pollard in front and bowled two economical overs.

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IPL 2021: MI player ratings vs CSK as Milne's fiery spell goes in vain

Quinton de Kock: 4/10

De Kock's crucial drop that would've sent Gaikwad back to the hut in the ninth over proved to be the difference between an abysmal CSK total and a competitive one. He was particularly shoddy behind the stumps as he fumbled several simple takes. Although De Kock seemed set to continue his good form with the bat, the opener missed a swinging delivery from Chahar and was trapped plumb in front. It was yet another thrown-away start for the South African, who needs to step up for MI.

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Anmolpreet Singh: 6/10

Anmolpreet showed promise in the 14 balls he faced as he used his wrists to take find two boundaries and a six off Hazlewood's second over. However, he had no answers to a smart knuckle ball from Chahar which disturbed his timber in the fifth over, just when it seemed like he was gaining momentum. The 23-year-old won't get too many opportunities in the playing XI, and he might lose his place if Rohit Sharma returns to the side for the next game.

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Suryakumar Yadav: 2/10

Suryakumar is one of the best in the world at playing on the up on slow surfaces, but his biggest strength caused his downfall in Dubai. He tried to loft Thakur over the infield on the off-side but only managed to spoon a straightforward catch to Du Plessis on the edge of the circle. It was a careless shot for MI's No. 3, who needed to take on more responsibility in the absence of Rohit and Hardik Pandya.

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Ishan Kishan: 3/10

Kishan fell prey to a carefully thought-out plan from Dhoni. The young keeper was afforded nothing on his pads and was forced to manufacture his shots over the off-side, one of which saw him find a close-in catcher off Bravo's bowling for 11. Another soft dismissal, this time in the over after the first strategic timeout, put the brakes on MI's momentum in the chase.

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Saurabh Tiwary: 7/10

Tiwary had a job on his hands after MI lost a few quick wickets, and while he peppered the packed off-side field with some sumptuous drives, he couldn't really find his timing at any stage of the innings. The big left-hander notched up an IPL fifty, a slow one off 40 balls, to finish as MI's leading run-scorer in the match by some margin. He was good in the field as he made a few key diving stops.

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Kieron Pollard: 5/10

Pollard's captaincy in the first innings came under criticism as he let Jadeja and Gaikwad off the hook after reducing CSK to tatters at the end of the powerplay. He probably should've been more attacking with his captaincy, but the game was still in his pocket when he came out to bat. The big West Indian smashed a four and a six but the pace and guile of Hazlewood saw him sent back to the hut for 15.

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Krunal Pandya: 1/10

Krunal was undoubtedly MI's worst performer on the night. He conceded 27 runs off his two overs, with his expensive second over injecting momentum into the CSK innings and breaking MI's strangehold over the game. The all-rounder then ran himself out for 4, setting off for a non-existent run and ruining MI's last chance to stitch together a meaningful partnership.

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Adam Milne: 9/10

Fresh off finishing The Hundred as the leading wicket-taker, Milne justified his inclusion in the MI playing XI ahead of Nathan Coulter-Nile and Marco Jansen with an inspired spell of fast bowling. He conceded only 21 runs off his four overs, dismissing Ali and Dhoni in the powerplay and also injuring Rayudu. The Kiwi even chipped in with 15 runs - the joint fourth-highest score in the MI innings.

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Rahul Chahar: 7/10

Chahar didn't have much of a role to play as the CSK batsmen played him out without taking too many risks. He conceded 22 runs off his four overs and would've had a wicket if De Kock hadn't shelled a chance off Gaikwad.

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Jasprit Bumrah: 7/10

Bumrah bowled his four overs in spurts, as has become the norm for him in MI colors. He picked up the wickets of Jadeja and Bravo at the death, but some smart shot selection from the CSK batsmen saw him concede 33 runs in his four overs. The MI spearhead was still decent, though, and could collect a bag of wickets with his cutters and yorkers in the UAE.

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Trent Boult: 6.5/10

Boult's new-ball spell was impressive as usual. He outsmarted Du Plessis and Raina within the first six overs to put CSK on the backfoot. However, the left-armer's spell at the death left a lot to be desired as Bravo and Gaikwad plundered him for boundaries. He ended up with figures of 2/35.