NEW DELHI: Sri Lankan fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana delivered his standout IPL performance, claiming four wickets as the Chennai Super Kings defeated Mumbai Indians by 20 runs in an electrifying match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.
Put into bat first, CSK's star allrounder Shivam Dube and skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad showcased brilliant stroke play, each notching up half-centuries, propelling the five-time champions to a mammoth 206/4.
In reply, Pathirana dismissed Ishan Kishan (23), Surya Kumar Yadav (0), Tilak Varma (31), and Romario Shepherd (1), finishing with figures of 4 for 28, limiting the Mumbai Indians to 186 for six in their allotted 20 overs.
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MI captain Pandya, who managed just 2 runs before being dismissed by Tushar Deshpande, acknowledged Pathirana's pivotal role in CSK's victory.
Pandya also lauded the strategic acumen of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, whose aggressive batting display against him in the final four deliveries, yielding three consecutive sixes, proved decisive in CSK's triumph.
"It (target) was definitely gettable, but they bowled pretty well. Pathirana was the difference. They were smart with the plans and their approach. They got the hang of it, there's a man behind the stumps (Dhoni) who tells them what's working, that helps," Pandya said after the match.
"It (pitch) was holding up a bit and getting difficult. It was about batting well and keeping the intent. We were going quite well (in the run chase) till Pathirana came into the attack and took those two wickets," Pandya added.
"It was about what is best at that time, we could have done something different. I like to play percentage cricket, it would have been difficult for him (Dube) against seamers rather than spin. We are on the road for the next four games, need to play good cricket, need to keep the intensity high," the MI skipper said.
Mumbai Indians will next face Punjab Kings on April 18 in Chandigarh, while CSK will be up against Lucknow Super Giants on April 19 in Lucknow.
