MUMBAI: Dwayne Bravo hit a blazing 68 to help Chennai Super Kings pull off a thrilling chase and open the 2018 Indian Premier League season with a one-wicket win over Mumbai Indians on Saturday.
After a glitzy opening ceremony in the Bollywood capital, it was Bravo who set the stage on fire with his 30-ball blitz that allowed Super Kings chase down 166 with a ball to spare.
West Indies’ Bravo was out on the last ball of the penultimate over and it was Kedar Jadhav who sealed the game for Super Kings with a six and a four against Mustafizur Rahman.
Jadhav, who suffered a thigh strain in the middle of his innings and will be out of action for a few weeks, hit 24 off 22 deliveries for Super Kings who are returning to the cash-rich Twenty20 tournament after an illegal gambling ban.
“CSK-MI is one game that people wait to watch. We’re coming back after two years, that’s also the reason that people are eager to watch us in action,” Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni said after the win.
“The way Bravo batted, it was really good to see him take the responsibility.”
Paceman Hardik Pandya and debutant leg-spinner Mayank Markande claimed three wickets each to hurt the Super Kings’ chase but Bravo had other ideas.
The big-hitting West Indian hit three fours and seven sixes after coming in to bat in the 13th over of the innings with his side struggling at 75-5.
Bravo took away 20 runs off the 18th over from New Zealand paceman Mitchell McClenaghan to set up an exciting finish as Super Kings needed 27 off 12 deliveries and Jadhav finished it off in style.
Markande, 20, returned impressive figures of 3-23 including the prized scalp of Dhoni for five.
Hardik, who twisted his ankle while batting in the first innings, returned with the ball to get Australia’s Shane Watson, for 16, and Suresh Raina, for four, in his opening burst.
Earlier Krunal Pandya, who was the costliest uncapped buy in IPL auction at $1.38 million, hit a 22-ball 41 during his unbeaten 52-run stand with brother Hardik (22) as Mumbai posted 165-4 after being put into bat first.
Suryakumar Yadav top-scored with 43 but it was Krunal’s late blitz that included five fours and two sixes and got Mumbai a crucial 48 runs in the last five overs.
Watson claimed two wickets including skipper and opening batsman Rohit Sharma for 15 with his medium-pace bowling.
“Not feeling good at the moment. We have to give the credit to Bravo. We tried to get the yorker but we couldn’t get it. We need to improve our execution,” said Sharma.
“We were in the game till the 17th over. Anyway, good learning for all of us. With the dew coming, it was difficult for the bowlers. We felt we were 10-15 runs short.”
Coming on the heels of the Australian ball-tampering scandal, the world’s most popular T20 league is keen to avoid any controversy in the 51 days of the league where 60 matches will be played across nine venues.
With $8 million in prizes at stake — including $4 million for the winning team — the final takes place on May 27 in Mumbai.
Indian Premier League kicks off with a Dwayne Bravo-inspired win for Chennai over Mumbai
Indian Premier League kicks off with a Dwayne Bravo-inspired win for Chennai over Mumbai
- West Indian hits 68 off 30 balls
- Mumbai skipper Sharma felt his side were '10-15 runs short'
Forever Young retains Saudi Cup crown as global icons shine in Riyadh
- Ridden by Ryusei Sakai and trained by Yoshito Yahagi for owner Susumu Fujita, the Japanese thoroughbred defeated Bob Baffert’s Nysos by a length
RIYADH: Forever Young cemented his place in Saudi Cup history with a second consecutive victory in the $20 million race on Saturday night.
Ridden by Ryusei Sakai and trained by Yoshito Yahagi for owner Susumu Fujita, the Japanese thoroughbred defeated Bob Baffert’s Nysos by a length to claim the $10 million winner’s share over 1,800 metres on dirt at King Abdulaziz Racecourse.
Sakai, backed by a travelling Japanese fanbase, expressed pride after the race: “Forever Young is an amazing horse. I’m really proud of him and I trust him.” Asked about defending his title, he added: “I felt no pressure — this is my job.”
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who had saddled two runners in the main event — Nysos and Nevada Beach — had to settle for second. Despite aiming for a Saudi Cup win, he had previously tasted success in Riyadh with Pinehurst in the 2022 Saudi Derby and Imagination in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint earlier on Saturday, guided by Eclipse Award-winning jockey Flavien Prat.
The Saudi Cup once again highlighted its global draw, with four of North America’s top 10 jockeys of 2025 in the field: Irad Ortiz Jr. (Nevada Beach), Flavien Prat (Nysos), Junior Alvarado (Bishops Bay), and Joel Rosario (Rattle N Roll).
Earlier races on the card also saw notable victories for local and international contenders. Saudi Arabia’s Tahzeem claimed the $900,000 Asian Federation Cup Local Handicap under Prat, following a December win in the JCSA Board of Directors Cup. In the Obaiyah Racing Classic, First Classs returned to the top level with Connor Beasley aboard, ahead of Vizhir and Nadem Al Molwk Al Khalediah.
Saudi success continued in the Tuwaiq Cup, where Saad Aljenade’s Gran Descans led Michael Scofield to victory, marking the fourth win of the weekend for owners King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Sons. In the Saudi Derby, Sheikh Abdullah Homoud Almalek Alsabah celebrated victory with Al Haram, a year after finishing third with Mhally.
International stars also shone: Ortiz Jr. notched his first Saudi win aboard Reef Runner in the 1351 Turf Sprint, while Oisin Murphy guided Royal Champion to triumph in the Neom Turf Cup, adding to a successful 2025 season that included victory in the Bahrain International Trophy.
Attention ultimately turned to the main event. With packed grandstands and tension building along the final stretch, Forever Young surged past Tumbarumba and Nysos to make history as the first horse to defend the Saudi Cup title in consecutive editions.
