IPL 2018, CSK vs MI: 5 reasons why CSK lost

It was a contest between two teams at opposite ends of the league table, as Chennai Super Kings were hosting Mumbai Indians at MCA Stadium in Pune.

In a must-win game, MI asked the home team to bat first. Chennai didn’t get off to a great start but seasoned campaigner in Suresh Raina joined their top run-getter in this season to up the ante of runs. It was a handy knock from him to see his team post a reasonable 169 on the board.

Chasing 170 to win, Mumbai were well on course to get to the target with a great start to their innings. Despite some late hiccup in the middle overs, the men in blue registered their second win of the tournament to beat the table toppers by eight wickets.

Let’s take a look at some of the reasons that meant a loss for CSK:

#1 Match-defining spell from Mitchell McClenaghan

Image result for Mitchell mcclenaghan MI

The home team was well on course to post a high score on the board before the Kiwi pacer wreaked some havoc in that fragile middle order. He was brought in the 18th over to put some shackles on the scoring rate and did what the doctor ordered.

He managed to get some big scalps in the form of their skipper and Dwayne Bravo, who could well smack few biggies at the end. The courtesy that one over, Mumbai were able to restrict the men in yellow to just 169, minimizing the probable damage in the death overs.