The Chennai Super Kings, who scraped through the league phase to claim a spot in the final four, beat the Mumbai Indians at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium to keep their hopes high on reclaiming the IPL trophy. The defending champions beat the 2011 CLT20 champions by a decent margin of 38 runs.

MS Dhoni was at his best play of the tournament, while Dwayne Bravo contributed heavily with the bat and the ball to take his team into the second qualifier where they will play the Delhi Daredevils at home.

Chasing 188 to win, Sachin Tendulkar (11) and Dwayne Smith (38) continued from where they had left off in Jaipur. The West Indies batsman attacked from the beginning and helped his team to a great start. MI were goin strong until Tendulkar was dismissed ending the 47-run opening partnership. He was run-out while trying to make an improbable run. This was a tragic and emotional moment at the M Chinnaswamy stadium. Smith followed him back an over later as he was caught by Ravindra Jadeja off Shadab Jakati.

It was a downward slope for MI from there on. Albie Morkel removed Dinesh Karthik (6) bringing out James Franklin to join Rohit Sharma. With the run rate climbing up, MI were under pressure when Sharma (14) was dismissed after edging Morkel to the wicketkeeper leaving his team at 77 for four. Amabati Rayudu (11) was the next to walk back. The middle-order bat hit R Ashwin straight to Murali Vijay at deep mid-wicket. A while later, Dwayne Bravo dismissed Franklin (13). And when Suresh Raina took a brilliant catch to send back Harbhajan Singh (1) off Hilfenhaus, MI needed 76 runs off 30 balls with three wickets in hand. With Kieron Pollard’s (16) attempt for a big hit off Bravo caught safely by Raina, MI had reached the end of the road. The Mumbai franchise could only manage 149 for nine in their 20 overs.

MS Dhoni was honored Man of The Match for his quick fire 51 off 20 balls, which included six fours and two sixes.

Royal Challengers Bangalore beat the Mumbai Indians to move into fourth position in the league standings. Mumbai Indians scored a poor 141, after which followed Chris Gayle’s unbeaten 82 off 59 deliveries powered RCB to a nine-wicket win.

Sachin Tendulkar tried to bring MI back into the contest as he hit Vinay Kumar for three consecutive fours in the sixth over. The master blaster, however, got out at 24 by Harshal Patel, which gave RCB its breakthrough in the ninth over. At this point MI were 41 for 3.

MI’s situation worsened as Dinesh Karthik was caught out by Virat Kohli when he tried to hit Muttiah Muralitharan out of the park in the 16th over. Karthik, nonetheless, was the top-scorer in the MI innings, having scored 44 runs off 39 deliveries, which included three fours and a six.

Gayle broke the shackles. The West Indies batsman smote Ojha for three sixes in the 11th over before hitting Kieron Pollard for a couple of fours and a six in the 13th and 15th overs respectively. He brought up his half-century off just 36 deliveries, and with Virat Kohli giving him steady company, RCB got to their required target of 142 in 18 overs. Gayle remained unbeaten on 82, while Virat Kohli, who hit a six to bring up the winning score, remained not out on 36 (off 25 balls)

Chris Gayle was the man of the match for his wonderful innings of 82* (59 balls; 5×4, 6×6)