Rohit Sharma displayed resilience against defending champions Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. While he received some assistance from opener Ishan Kishan and No. 4 Tilak Varma, Rohit predominantly carried the scoring burden in both partnerships.
However, the middle order faltered against CSK’s defensive strategy. Despite Rohit’s valiant efforts, he fought a solitary battle with little support, ultimately witnessing his unbeaten 105 runs being in vain.
In the night fixture at the Wankhede Stadium, the target of 207 never appeared daunting for Mumbai. The solid 70-run opening partnership between Rohit and Ishan made the task seem even more manageable for the home side.
Although Matheesha Pathirana claimed two wickets in his opening over, providing the hosts with an initial setback, Rohit and Tilak swiftly recovered to put Mumbai back on track towards chasing down the total.
However, Pathirana once more claimed two crucial wickets, and the other CSK fast bowlers also made significant contributions as wickets tumbled quickly, leaving Mumbai facing a daunting challenge. Rohit himself faced difficulties during this phase, managing a run-a-ball 14 before regaining momentum.
However, his resurgence came too late for the former Mumbai Indians captain. Despite achieving his second IPL century, his first in 12 years and eighth in his T20 career, MI suffered their fourth loss of the season.
Rohit Sharma felt devastated following MI’s defeat against CSK
Rohit Sharma's reaction seems like he got out for a duck. You tried your best @ImRo45. pic.twitter.com/xVGzThOcwc
— R A T N I S H (@LoyalSachinFan) April 15, 2024
Following the match, Rohit appeared disheartened as he passed by the usual post-match handshakes with players, keeping his head down in disappointment. It marked the first instance, out of 18 occasions, where Rohit remained undefeated in a chase for Mumbai, yet the team suffered a loss.
Mumbai were on the verge of potentially entering the top four before the halfway mark of the current IPL 2024 season. However, their fourth loss in the tournament has relegated them to the eighth position in the table with only four points and a net run rate of -0.234.
MI’s next match will be against Punjab Kings at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur in Chandigarh. The team led by Hardik Pandya has suffered defeats in both their away matches so far this season.
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