CHENNAI, MAR 23: Bangladeshs Mustafizur Rahman returned figures of 4-29 to set up a six-wicket win for defending champions Chennai Super Kings in the IPL opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Friday.
Hosts Chennai kept Bengaluru down to 173-6, a total their batsmen overhauled in 18.4 overs at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.
Shivam Dube, who hit 34, and fellow left-hander Ravindra Jadeja, who made 25, put on an unbeaten stand of 66 to steer the team home.
The 17th edition of the lucrative league began with a glitzy ceremony, with performances by Bollywood stars including Indias Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman.
Extravagant dances, popular music and fireworks gave way to the toss as Bengaluru skipper Faf du Plessis elected to bat.
Old warhorse M.S. Dhoni had shocked his fans on the eve of the opener when he handed over the captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad, who said he got to know of the decision last week.
"I have always enjoyed it," Gaikwad said of his captaincy debut in the IPL. Gaikwads leadership witnessed early challenges when his opposite number Du Plessis smashed regular boundaries but left-arm quick Mustafizur led Chennais fightback with his IPL-best haul.
Mustafizur had Du Plessis caught out for 35 and Bengaluru slipped from 41-0 to 42-3 in the space of seven balls when Australias Glenn Maxwell was out for a first-ball duck off Deepak Chahar.
Mustafizur was named man of the match. —AFP
