It has been proved yet again — if indeed any proof was ever needed — that Mumbai continues to be the cradle of Indian cricket, notwithstanding the game’s expansion in all directions. In a thrilling nail-biting finish, Mumbai Indians (MI) claimed undisputed supremacy in the IPL by securing their fourth title in cricket’s most prestigious private league on Sunday evening. In doing so, Mumbai Indians beat Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for the third time in four finals, setting a pace that is blistering and a trend that would be hard to emulate. Mumbai Indians is the most successful team in the IPL. They won their first IPL title in 2013, defeating CSK, their second IPL crown in May 2015 by beating the CSK again and made a hat-trick in 2017. Now comes the 2019 crown.
What makes Mumbai Indians click? Obviously, the megapolis’s cricket culture that has spawned some of India’s biggest cricketing legends — from Vijay Merchant to Sachin Tendulkar — who have a big role to play. The never-say-die spirit of the average Mumbaikar rubs off on the cricket team apart from its intricate knowledge of the game. A lot can also be placed at the doors of intense practice sessions, training schedules, gruelling diets and the need for constant hard work and discipline. Sports nutrition and physiotherapy also play their roles.
The team boasts of an excellent crew — captain Rohit Sharma, star all-rounder Hardik Pandya, India’s principal limited over strike bowler, Jasprit Bumrah along with Sri Lankan pace veteran Lasith Malinga,. Together, they make a formidable combination. Needless to say, a team that has Sachin Tendulkar as its mentor and former Sri Lankan captain and batsman Mahela Jayawardene as coach, deserves all the accolades that have come its way. Little wonder then that Mumbai Indians remain IPL’s worthy winners.
