Mumbai Indians continued their domination of Chennai Super Kings in this year’s IPL as they edged a nail-biting final to be crowned winners of the 2019 edition of the tournament. MI’s victory also meant the continuation of their winning streak in odd-numbered years this decade- they had previously won the tournament in 2013, 2015 and 2017.
MI included Mitchell McClenaghan in place of Jayant Yadav, while Chennai went in with an unchanged XI.
After winning the toss and electing to bat first Mumbai Indians opening pair of Quinton de Kock and Rohit Sharma got their team off to a brisk start and added 45 runs for the opening stand in 29 balls, before Shardul Thakur got the breakthrough by dismissing De Kock for 29.
Deepak Chahar had given 20 in his first over, but he came back strongly by dismissing Sharma in the sixth over.
Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan steadied the MI innings by adding 37 runs for the third wicket before Imran Tahir bagged the wicket of Yadav for 15.
Mumbai then lost a bit of momentum, as they lost wickets of Krunal Pandya and Ishan Kishan in quick succession to slump to 101/5 in 15 overs.
However Kieron Pollard has come good whenever Mumbai have really needed him in this tournament, and the burly West Indian provided some much needed impetus to the innings in the company of Hardik Pandya. Pollard smashed 41 from 25 while Pandya hit 16 in his ten ball stay as Mumbai Indians finished at a very competitive 149 for 8 at the end of their allotted 20 overs.
Chahar was Super Kings’ best bowler as he claimed 3/26 in 4 overs, while Thakur and Tahir bagged 2 wickets each. The South African spinner’s brace saw him overtake compatriot Kagiso Rabada as the tournament’s leading wicket keeper.
Chasing a target of 150 , Chennai made a steady beginning as the pair of Shane Watson and Faf Du Plessis added 33 runs for the first wicket before the Proteas skipper was stumped by De Kock off Krunal for a quickfire 26.
Like Mumbai had in the first innings, Chennai also lost momentum in the middle stages- the scratchy Suresh Raina and Ambati Rayudu both fell cheaply as CSK slumped to 73/3.
Chennai then suffered a body blow, as they lost skipper Dhoni who was brilliantly run out by Ishan Kishan for 2.
Watson, who had been struggling till then, and Dwayne Bravo took on the Mumbai Indians bowlers, by putting on 51 runs for the fifth wicket, before Jasprit Bumrah broke through by dismissing Bravo for 15.
The 37 year old Watson clobbered Lasith Malinga for three fours and a six in the 16th over to keep CSK in the game.
Just as it looked like the game had swung CSK’s way, Watson was run out for a magnificent 80 in the final over of the game.
Malinga, who had been expensive on the day, completed his redemption as his slower ball deceived Shardul Thakur on the final ball of the innings, as CSK heart breakingly fell just a single run short.
Jasprit Bumrah was declared the Player of the Match, while Kolkata Knight Ridetrs’ Andre Russell won the Man of the Series.
