MI vs CSK: FULL SCORECARD
The win made Dhoni the first IPL captain to register 100 wins.
CSK had been on a five-match losing streak against Mumbai, but after winning the match on Saturday, the Dhoni-led franchise finally managed a victory over the Rohit Sharma-led defending champions.
Dhoni returned to the cricket field after 437 days as he last played a match during the 2019 World Cup, against New Zealand in the semifinals of the premier 50-over tournament in July last year.
The former India skipper had announced his retirement from international cricket on August 15 this year.
“We may practice enough but when you go on the field, you need to assess the conditions and give it your best. It took us time, for the bowlers to find the right length on this pitch. Plenty of positives but still plenty of areas for us to improve (upon),” Dhoni said after the win.
“In the second half, there is a bit of movement for the bowlers until the dew sets in. If you don’t lose wickets early, you have the upper hand. These are the learnings,” he added.
Dhoni, however, faced just two balls during his side’s successful run-chase and remained unbeaten on zero. The wicketkeeper-batsman was given out off the first ball he faced, but he opted for a review (DRS), which saved him.
The replays clearly showed that Dhoni had not edged the ball to the wicketkeeper off the bowling of Jasprit Bumrah and as a result the umpire had to overturn his decision.
While chasing 163 against the defending champions, Dhoni promoted Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran ahead of him. England all-rounder Curran went on to play a cameo of 18 runs off just 6 balls to put CSK in a comfortable position.
In the end, Faf du Plessis and Dhoni guided CSK to a five-wicket victory. For CSK, Ambati Rayudu played a match-winning knock of 71 while Du Plessis scored an unbeaten 58.
CSK will next lock horns with Rajasthan Royals on September 22, while Mumbai will face Kolkata Knight Riders on September 23.