Lasith Malinga played the ZERO to HERO role with brilliant last over to give Mumbai Indians an unprecedented fourth Indian Premier League (IPL) title. They beat Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by one SINGLE run at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad on Sunday.
Seven runs and two wickets, including the run out of Shane Watson, from the last over. Malinga has done it.
Mumbai Indians' Lasith Malinga is carried by teammates as they celebrate their win in IPL 2019 final match against Chennai Super Kings in Hyderabad on May 12, 2019. (AP Photo)
And, every odd year, they are winning it: 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019.
So, MI have defeated CSK four times this season.
Sanjay Manjrekar is chasing Mumbai Indians players, then Rohit is caught playing with his daughter. There were Pandya brothers, hailing each other. Proud brothers. Kieron Pollard, Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga, Suryakumar Yadav, everyone was there.
On the hindsight, did CSK missed a trick by not sending in Harbhajan Singh when the equation was four off two.
Awards:
Man of the match: Jasprit Bumrah
Emerging player of the tournament: Shubman Gill
Fairplay award: SunRisers Hyderabad
Fastest fifty: Hardik Pandya
Best catch: Kieron Pollard (for that catch against Suresh Raina in Mumbai)
Super striker: Andre Russell
Gamechanger of the season: Rahul Chahar
Orange Cap (most runs): David Warner (692 runs in 12 matches)
Purple Cap (most wickets): Imran Tahir (26 wickets)
MVP: Andre Russell
And the prize money: INR 12,50,00,000 for runners' up Chennai Super Kings and INR 20,00,00,000 for winners Mumbai Indians.
Brief Scores:
Mumbai Indians: 149 for 8 in 20 overs. (Kieron Pollard not out 41, Quinton de Kock 29; Deepak Chahar 3/26, Imran Tahir 2/23, Shardul Thakur 2/37).
Chennai Super Kings: 148 for 7 in 20 overs. (Shane Watson 80; Jasprit Bumrah 2/14).
Playing XIs:
Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Krunal Pandya, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Rahul Chahar, Mitchell McClenaghan, Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga
Chennai Super Kings: Faf du Plessis, Shane Watson, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni(c & wk), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Imran Tahir
Meanwhile, Manchester City have won back-to-back EPL titles. They battered Brighton 4-1 while Liverpool beat Wolves 2-0 on the final day.
11:33 PM IST: Mumbai boy Shardul Thakur up against the legend. And LBW. Mumbai win by one run.
11:30 PM IST: Shardul Thakur hits the fifth ball to backward square leg for a double. Two needed from one. Last ball to decide who win the title. It can't get bigger than this. Some can't even watch this.
11:28 PM IST: And what drama. What a throw from outfield, from deep, Krunal Pandya. Shane Watson is gone. And everyone in yellow are crying. Run out. FoW-146/6 (19.4 Over) Watson made 80 off 59. Shardul Thakur is the new man. Four needed of two.
11:26 PM IST: Shane Watson plays to long on for a double. Five needed from three.
11:25 PM IST: Lasith Malinga on with the last over. A single off the first ball as Shane Watson plays it to long on. A quick single off the next. Seven needed from four. Watson returns to strike.
11:23 PM IST: Jasprit Bumrah on with his last over, and the wicket of Dwayne Bravo off the second ball. Caught behind. FoW-133/5 (18.2 Over). Ravindra Jadeja is the new man. Then, Quinton de Kock fails to collect the last ball, and four byes. What a moment. Nine runs from the over. CSK-141/5 after 19 overs. Nine needed from six.
11:16 PM IST: Shane Watson! He's doing it again. Hits Krunal Pandya for three successive sixes, off the second, third and fourth. 19 runs from the over. CSK-132/4 after 18 overs. Watson is on 75 off 55. 18 runs required from 12 balls.
11:09 PM IST: Jasprit Bumrah on with his third over. And what a moment. Rahul Chahar drops Shane Watson off the first ball at backward square leg. Four runs from the over -- three singles and one bye. CSK-112/4 after 17 overs. 38 runs required from 18 balls.
11:02 PM IST: Massive over for CSK. Dwayne Bravo hits the first ball for a six, flat over deep mid-wicket. A single, then Shane Watson changed gears. Three successive fours. Brutal hittings from the last years' final hero. He brings up successive fifty with that second four, in 45 balls. 20 runs from Lasith Malinga's third over. CSK-108/4. 42 runs required from 24 balls.
10:57 PM IST: Mitchell McClenaghan also completes his spell. Three runs from his last over, for figures of 0/24. CSK-88/4 after 15 overs. 62 runs required from 30 balls.
10:49 PM IST: What a spell from Rahul Chahar. Three singles from his last over, also a dropped chance off the fifth ball to give a life to Shane Watson. Chahar's figures: 1/14. CSK-85/4 after 14 overs. Watson is on 42 off 42. They need 65 runs from 36 balls. Time out.
10:46 PM IST: And Dhoni is given out. Some direct hit from Ishan Kishan. Dhoni tried to steal a run from overthrow, and paid the price. There will huge debate over it. Nigel Llong is the third umpire. Dwayne Bravo is the new man. Three runs from the over. CSK-82/4 after 13 overs. They need 68 from 42 balls. BTW, Dhoni made two off eight.
10:41 PM IST: Hardik Pandya gets his first over. And MS Dhoni is run out? Huge moment. Dhoni walks, then stops again. Confusion abounds. Two angles, different tales to tell. That happened off the third ball.
10:35 PM IST: Rahul Chahar up against MS Dhoni. And the youngster manages to tie down the legend. A single off the first ball to Shane Watson, then Dhoni takes four balls to open his account, a single. Watson hits the last ball for a four to fine leg. Six runs from the over. CSK-79/3 after 12 overs. 71 runs required from 48 balls.
10:29 PM IST: Jasprit Bumrah returns for his second over and gets the wicket of Ambati Rayudu, caught behind. 73/3 (10.3 Over). MS Dhoni is the new man. Mumbai are back.
10:25 PM IST: Rahul Chahar on with his second over. Gets the wicket of struggling Suresh Raina. LBW. Raina also wastes the review. FoW-70/2 (9.2 Over). Ambati Rayudu is the new man. CSK-72/2 after 10 overs. Two runs from the over.
10:20 PM IST: Mitchell McClenaghan on with his second over. He's let down by a pathetic fielding effort from Lasith Malinga. Shane Watson gets a top edge off the fourth ball, but Malinga makes a mess of it at fine leg. He did dive. Before that Watson hit the second ball for a four. Ten runs from the over. CSK-70/1 after nine overs.
10:14 PM IST: Rahul Chahar, leg spinner, gets his first over. Three singles from it. CSK-60/1 after eight overs. 90 runs required from 12 overs.
10:10 PM IST: Mitchell McClenaghan gets his first over. Two dots, then a wide. Then, a very long review after Suresh Raina was given out by Ian Gould for caught behind. There was some sound. Not conclusive. And Raina survived. One for the over, signaled the umpire. Four runs from the over. CSK-57/1 after seven overs. 93 runs required from 13 overs.
9:59 PM IST: Huge over for CSK. 15 runs from Lasith Malinga's second over, with Shane Watson hitting the second and fifth balls for fours and the fourth for a six. CSK-53/1 after six overs. 97 runs required from 14 overs. Time out.
9:54 PM IST: Jasprit Bumrah is the new man for Mumbai. Very good over from the right-arm pacer. Five runs -- three singles and a double. Chennai's new man Suresh Raina gets off with a single off the third ball. CSK-38/1 after five overs. 112 runs required from 15 overs.
9:49 PM IST: Faf du Plessis takes a liking of Krunal Pandya. A dot, then a four to long on, a six to long on then a four to deep backward point. A dot, then Krunal gets his man. Faf comes down but a wide beats him and Quinton de Kock completes a very quick stumping. FoW-33/1 (3.6 Over). 14 runs from the over. 117 runs required from 16 overs. Faf made 26 off 13.
9:45 PM IST: Lasith Malinga gets his first over. Two singles from the first five balls, then five overthrows. CSK-19/0 after three overs. 131 runs required from 17 overs.
9:40 PM IST: Krunal Pandya on with the second over. Five runs, including a four off the fourth ball, hit by Shane Watson through cover. Pandya had his moment, almost a return catch off the first ball. Faf du Plessis lucky to have played it little wide on on-side. CSK-12/0 after two overs.
9:36 PM IST: Mitchell McClenaghan on with the first over. Seven runs from it, including a four off the third ball, hit by Faf du Plessis through cover. CSK need 143 runs.
9:17 PM IST: Dwayne Bravo on with the last over. Kieron Pollard hits to mid-off, but refuses to take the runs. Two was possible. A wide, not given as Pollard was moving. Another wide, not given by Nitin Menon. That was wide. Then, Pollard throws his bat in the air, and pulls out just before the next ball is delivered. And umpires are not happy. Drama. Pollard plays to long-off and McClenaghan is run out coming for the second. FoW-141/8 (19.4 Over). Pollard hits the next ball for a four to long-off. Rocket. To the same corridor, and a four. Rocket, rocket. Nine runs from the over. Pollard unbeaten on 41 off 25. MI-149/8.
9:09 PM IST: Deepak Chahar on with his last over. A short ball to start to Hardik Pandya, and four to long on. An LBW shout, oblidged by the umpire and Pandya straight away reviews it. And it hits the leg stump. Ian Gould has the last laugh. And Suresh Raina is a mighty relieved man. FoW-140/6 (18.2 Over). Pandya made 16 off 10. Rahul Chahar is the new man. A dot then, the wicket. Chahar gets Chahr. Rahul holes out at mid off, caught by Faf du Plessis. FoW-140/7 (18.4 Over). Mitchell McClenaghan is the new man. Four runs from the over. His Deepak's figures: 3/26. Mind you there was a 20-run over in his spell. MI-140/7 after 19 overs.
9:01 PM IST: Shardul Thakur on with his last over. Denied the wicket of Hardik Pandya by a circumspect Suresh Raina. A dropped catch at deep off the third ball. Then, the next ball gets hit for a might six by Kieron Pollard over deep mid-wicket. Hardik also gets a six, courtesy a helicopter shot, over deep mid-wicket off the fifth ball. 16 runs from the over. MI-136/5 after 18 overs. Thakur's figures: 2/37.
8:54 PM IST: Three overs remaining, and MI are 120/5. Imran Tahir on with his third over. Kieron Pollard hits the fifth ball for a massive six over deep square leg. 10 runs from the over. 30 runs from the last four overs.
8:49 PM IST: Ravindra Jadeja on with his second over. Eight runs from the over, including a four off the fourth ball, hit by Kieron Pollard to deep cover. A shout for a catch, but Deepak Chahar fails to reach to the ball. MI-110/5 after 16 overs.
8:44 PM IST: Imran Tahir returns for his second over. Kieron Pollard hits the first ball, a low full toss, for a huge six over the bowler's head. Then, Ishan Kishan holes out off the fourth ball at cover. Easy catch for Suresh Raina. FoW-101/5 (14.4 Over). Kishan made 23 off 26. Hardik Pandya is the new man. Eight runs from the over. MI-102/5 after 15 overs. Time out.
8:38 PM IST: Very quick over from Ravindra Jadeja, as usual. Four singles from his first over. MI-94/4 after 14 overs. 24 runs from the last four overs for Mumbai for two wickets.
8:34 PM IST: Shardul Thakur gets his second. Caught and bowled. Brilliant running catch, on the second attempt, at square leg. Krunal Pandya is gone. FoW-89/4 (12.3 Over). Kieron Pollard is the new man. Excellent over. Five runs from it. MI-90/4 after 13 overs.
8:28 PM IST: Imran Tahir strikes in his first over. A double to Suryakumar Yadav, to long on. Then the wicket. Plays on. And Tahir has another epic celebratory run. FoW-82/3 (11.2 Over). A 37-run, promising stand broken. Yadav made 15 off 17. Krunal Pandya is the new man. Five runs from the over. MI-85/3 after 12 overs.
8:24 PM IST: Harbhajan Singh with his last over. Ravindra Jadeja almost pulls off a magic catch, diving at full speed at deep mid-wicket. Suryakumar Yadav gets a four though, off the third ball. Ishan Kishan hits the last ball for another four, to deep mid-wicket. 10 runs from the over. MI-80/2 after 11 overs. Harbhajan's figures: 0/27.
8:19 PM IST: Dwayne Bravo on with his second over. Ishan Kishan hits the first ball for a well-timed six, over mid-on. A wide, then a single. A dot to Suryakumar Yadav, then a single. A loopy ball and Kishan plays a sweep shot with supreme control. A single to long-off and 12 runs from the over. MI-70/2 after 10 overs.
8:13 PM IST: Harbhajan Singh on with his third over. Five runs from it -- four singles and a wide. MI-58/2 after nine overs. Time out.
8:09 PM IST: Brilliant first over from Dwayne Bravo. Just three singles. MI-53/2 after eight overs. 16 runs and two wickets in the last four overs.
8:05 PM IST: Harbhajan Singh on with his second over. Five singles from it. MI-50/2 after seven overs.
8:01 PM IST: Redemption over for Deepak Chahar. A dot to Rohit Sharma, and he gets the big wicket of Rohit Sharma. Caught behind. Very good, low catch from MS Dhoni. FoW-45/2 (5.2 Over). Ishan Kishan is the new man. And with that Dhoni has become the most successful wicketkeeper in IPL, his 132nd dismissal. Rohit made 15 off 14. Wicket maiden. MI-45/2 after six overs.
7:55 PM IST: Shardul Thakur on with his second over. Quinton de Kock hits the fourth ball for a six after facing two dots. Then, a short ball does the trick for CSK. Caught by MS Dhoni. FoW-45/1 (4.5 Over). de Kock made 29 off 17. Suryakumar Yadav is the new man. Eight runs from the over. MI-45/1 after five overs.
7:50 PM IST: Harbhajan Singh, the veteran off-spinner, on with the fourth over. Three singles, then Rohit Sharma digs out a yorker, a dot. Another dot. Then, the experienced spinner strays his line, down the leg, and pays the price as Rohit plays it to backward square leg for a four. Seven runs from the over. MI-37/0 after four overs.
7:46 PM IST: Quinton de Kock is dealing in sixes. He destroys Deepak Chahar, one of the best pacer this season. Three sixes, off the first, third and fifth balls. 20 runs from the over. MI-30/3 after three overs.
7:41 PM IST: Shardul Thakur shares the new ball with Deepak Chahar. A double off the first ball, to deep. Three dots, then a six, over deep square leg for six. A fan refuses to return the ball. Eight runs from the over. MI-10/0 after two overs.
7:36 PM IST: Deepak Chahar on with the first over. Just two singles, one each to Quinton de Kock and Rohit Sharma.
7:10 PM IST: A while ago, batting great VVS Laxman was with the pitch report for the official broadcasters, and here's what he said: A great surface for batting. Even covering of grass. It'll be a surface where the batsmen can easily hit through the line and play their shots.
But he warned batsmen against relying on big shots, saying "it'll be important to convert the ones into two.
7:06 PM IST: Mumbai Indians have one change, a forced one, Mitchell McClenaghan in for Jayant Yadav. Chennai Super Kings are unchanged, as expected.
7:01 PM IST: Heads it the call, and it comes down tails. MI captain Rohit Sharma wins the toss and they bat first. MS Dhoni said, he would have taken the ball.
6:44 PM IST: Mumbai Indians have a 16-11 head-to-head record against Chennai Super Kings, but it's 4-4 in knockouts/playoffs. In the finals though, MI have a 2-1 advantage
6:30 PM IST: Here's Chennai Super Kings' road to final.
6:15 PM IST: Here's Mumbai Indians' road to final.
4:40 PM IST: Here are the likely XIs
Mumbai Indians: Quinton de Kock (wk), Rohit Sharma (c), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Ben Cutting, Rahul Chahar, Lasith Malinga, Jasprit Bumrah
Chennai Super Kings: Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Murali Vijay, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Harbhajan Singh, Imran Tahir
4: 10 PM IST Mumbai Indians defeated Chennai Super Kings three times this season, showing they are a class apart. A fourth win will surely do some permanent damage to Chennai psyche, especially those revolving around MS Dhoni's invincibility.
3:00 PM IST: Meanwhile, spare some thoughts for other teams. Here's how other teams have performed:
1. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB): Won five after losing the first six matches. That's a commendable job from Virat Kohli & Co. They even remained in contention for the playoffs, until a no-result crashed their belated party. They promised to come back stronger, as usual. Finished last.
2. Rajasthan Royals (RR): They tried with two captains. But no captain will be happy to lose the likes of Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes. Five wins and that no result against RCB were not enough. They finished second last, thanks to a better run-rate.
3. Kings XI Punjab (KXIP): Blew hot and cold. After a good start to a season with skipper Ravichandran Ashwin leading from the front, they failed to keep the momentum. Two many changes and paid the price. Six wins and finished sixth.
4. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR): One of the most consistent teams failed to keep it together despite Andre Russell playing a never before seen brand of cricket. Knocked out on the final day of league engagement by Mumbai Indians (MI). Finished fifth with six wins.
5. SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH): Lucky and unlucky. Lost David Warner and Jonny Bairstow at the most inopportune moment, then MI helped them by beating KKR. But lost to Delhi Capitals (DC) in the Eliminator. They were one of the three teams to finish the league competition on 12 points. Finished fourth.
6. Delhi Capitals: Promising season for a young team, but their own inexperienced compromised the campaign. Finished third.
SQUADS
Chennai Super Kings: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Murali Vijay, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Shorey, Chaitanya Bishnoi, Rituraj Gaikwad, Dwayne Bravo, Karn Sharma, Imran Tahir, Harbhajan Singh, Mitchell Santner, Shardul Thakur, Mohit Sharma, K M Asif, Deepak Chahar, N Jagadeesan, Scott Kuggeleijn.
Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma (captain), Quinton de Kock, Suryakumar Yadav, Yuvraj Singh, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Mitchell McClenaghan, Mayank Markande, Rahul Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Anmolpreet Singh, Siddhesh Lad, Ankul Roy, Evin Lewis, Pankaj Jaiswal, Ben Cutting, Ishan Kishan, Aditya Tare, Rasikh Salam, Barinder Sran, Jayant Yadav, Beuran Hendricks and Lasith Malinga.
