CSK’s bowling depth saved them when their batting couldn’t dominate. Dhoni’s tactical field placements in the death overs suffocated MI’s lower order—a masterclass in reading match situations. What’s overlooked: this win hinges entirely on Tushar Deshpande’s emergence as a reliable death bowler, something CSK desperately needed after years of relying on aging pace stocks. They’re not back in contention through batting resurrection. They’re surviving on bowling evolution.