Hyderabad: Lasith Malinga (1/49) bowled a brilliant final over to help Mumbai Indians lift Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy for fourth time after scraping past Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by one run in a thrilling final here, Sunday.
Chasing a target of 150 runs, CSK started well with openers Faf du Plessis (26) and Shane Watson (80, 59b, 8×4, 4×6) adding 33 runs in four overs. Du Plessis, however, got out in search of quick runs. Suresh Raina (8) then joined hands with Watson as the duo paired up for 37 runs for the second wicket before the former’s departure.
After the fall of Raina, CSK had to deal with two quick blows – first Ambati Rayudu and then the crucial wicket of skipper MS Dhoni (2). Dhoni was searching for a quick single off an overthrow but that turned his fate as a direct throw from Ishan Kishan removed him after a lengthy look up.
However, Watson and Dwayne Bravo (15) tried to resurrect CSK innings adding 51 runs for the fifth wicket. Requiring 38 runs from three overs, CSK scored 20 runs from Krunal Pandya (1/39) over, courtesy three sixes by Watson. Bumrah then conceded nine runs in the penultimate over.
Needing only nine runs from the final over bowled by Malinga with Watson and Ravindra Jadeja at the crease, CSK should have won the match. But the run out of Watson in the fourth ball, left CSK four runs short of win with two balls to go. Shardul Thakur collected two runs from the penultimate ball before the Sri Lankan dismissed Thakur to seal the deal for MI.
Earlier, CSK dished out a disciplined bowling performance under pressure to restrict MI to 149/8. After opting to bat, Mumbai ended up with a below-par total despite Kieron Pollard’s unbeaten 25-ball 41.
Deepak Chahar (3/26) was impressive once again and so was fellow pacer Thakur (2/37). The spinners, Harbhajan Singh (0/27) and Imran Tahir (2/23), too played a crucial role in limiting Mumbai Indians.
The Rohit Sharma-led side was dealing in sixes early on in their innings with the in-form Quinton de Kock collecting three sixes out of the four hit in the first three overs.
All of a sudden, a promising start got converted into a wobbly one with Rohit getting out soon after the dismissal of De Kock, leaving Mumbai at 45/2 in the sixth over.
With two new batsmen at the crease, the runs dried up before Mumbai reached 70/2 in 10 overs. Just when it seemed Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav will produce a much needed partnership, two wickets falling in quick succession pegged Mumbai back.
Two of the biggest hitters in the game, Hardik Pandya and Pollard, were in the middle to put life into the innings and take their team to a fighting total. CSK, who had done most things right up till, gave a breather to Pandya as Raina dropped a regulation catch at cover. The dangerous Pandya made his opponents pay smashing Thakur for two sixes in the same over before getting out.
Pollard at the other end did not get enough strike in the death overs. He faced all six balls in the final over, where MI collected only nine runs.
Brief scores: Mumbai Indians 149/8 (Kieron Pollard 41 n o; Deepak Chahar 3/26, Imran Tahir 2/23) beat Chennai Super Kings 148/7 (Shane Watson 80; Jasprit Bumrah 2/14, Rahul Chahar 1/14) by one run.