Suresh Raina scores his first fifty of IPL 2018 and extends lead over Kohli

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Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli are going neck and neck in IPL 2018, and on Saturday the former extended his lead over the RCB captain in terms of most runs in the history of the league.

CSK's Raina scored a 47-ball 75 not out against MI at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune and took his overall tally to 4,744 -- 77 ahead of Kohli (4,667). The left-hander hit six fours and four sixes during the course of his innings.

This was Raina's first fifty this season in five matches. He had to miss out on two matches on account of injury.

Raina also went past Kohli in terms of the most number of fifties. This was his 33rd fifty in all, and only David Warner and Gautam Gambhir have scored more IPL fifties than him on 36 each.

Earlier, Mumbai had won the toss and decided to have a field. Raina joined Ambati Rayudu after the departure of Aussie Shane Watson for 12. He and Rayudu (46 off 36 balls) added 71 for the second wicket to put CSK on course for a big score. During the course of his innings, Rayudu became the first batsman this season to reach the 300-run mark. 

However, the CSK batsmen couldn't go all out in the last few overs on what appeared a difficult wicket, and that they still managed to put up a competitive total (169/5) was largely due to Raina's exploits.

He was circumspect and decided to hang in there and wait for his opportunities. He ended the innings in style with a six off medium pacer Hardik Pandya.