Suryakumar & Rohit's fifty helped Mumbai to register their 4th win which helped to improve net run rate

Yeah, that match really summed up the difference between two teams in completely different gears — MI looked sharp and purposeful, while CSK seemed like they were stuck in first. That CSK innings was unusually conservative, especially at Wankhede, where you expect teams to go hard. It felt like their intent was missing right from the start, and the stat you pointed out — 27 balls in the middle overs without even attempting a boundary — says it all. Almost like they were playing not to collapse rather than playing to win. Ayush Mhatre was probably the only bright spark for CSK. At just 17, walking out in that situation and throwing hands like that showed serious confidence. The comparison to Dwayne Bravo’s flair isn’t even far-fetched — his shot selection was bold but not reckless, which is rare for someone that young on debut. Definitely a name to keep an eye on. On the MI side, though, everything clicked. Rohit’s fifty would’ve lifted a lot of weight off his shoulders — the way he played was classic Hitman: not forcing the pace, but punishing every loose ball. And Suryakumar’s sweep-heavy approach against CSK’s spinners was just another reminder of why he’s one of the most dangerous middle-overs batters in T20 cricket. And of course — when you’ve got Bumrah bowling death overs the way he did (and Santner’s tight spell to back him up), defending anything or chasing against MI becomes a real uphill battle. At this point, do you think CSK are in trouble this season, or just a rough patch? They seem to miss that old middle-overs accelerator — the Dhoni-Albie-Moeen muscle. Yeah, that sums it up perfectly — CSK's innings had such a weird rhythm. It was like they were stuck in a loop of hesitation once Dube and Jadeja came together. The fact that Santner, who was in the middle of a top-class spell (2-0-8-1), was taken off just because of the left-handers tells you a lot about how pre-planned and rigid the strategy was. Almost too much chess, not enough instinct. Dube’s late acceleration was a saving grace — going from 16 off 19 to a 30-ball fifty was the kind of spark CSK needed earlier, but it came too late. And once Bumrah snatched him back with that clever slower ball, it was pretty much curtains on any hopes of a strong finish. Jadeja’s mini-flurry at the end at least dragged them to a half-decent total, but MI were always in control. And how about Rohit’s knock? Vintage stuff, honestly. That early burst where he punished anything short or in his arc reminded you exactly why MI kept backing him at the top despite a rough season so far. When he slog-swept Ashwin for that six — even though Ashwin had him on a leash initially — it felt like Rohit was finally back to batting on instinct rather than overthinking. That opening stand was probably the cleanest MI's top-order has looked all season. At this rate, MI are quietly starting to look like a playoff team again, especially with Bumrah bowling the way he is and Suryakumar locking down the middle overs. Classic Suryakumar Yadav, isn't it? Once he finds that rhythm, especially with his sweeps and those trademark inside-out drives, he makes even the most seasoned spinners look like club bowlers. That moment against Jadeja — driving him over extra cover and then sweeping him for his first ever six off him — was like a switch flipped. It’s wild how often in T20s match-ups define entire innings, and Surya just tore the Jadeja script apart here. Once he broke that mental block, the floodgates opened. Nine sweeps for 35 runs is some serious intent, especially considering the pitch wasn’t a flat belter like the one earlier in the tournament. And you’re right — the way he accelerated past Rohit after that shows how perfectly he reads situations. When he’s on, it’s like he’s playing a different format to everyone else. That NRR boost could prove priceless for MI too, the mid-table logjam this season has been brutal.