| 0.0 : We are back for the chase! Out walk Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis, the Chennai openers. The Mumbai players are in a huddle and now stride out to the middle. The new ball is given to Mitchell McClenaghan. He will be bowling to Faf du Plessis. Here we go... |
| 0.1 : M McClenaghan to du Plessis, Starts off with a fuller delivery on middle, Faf pushes it to mid on. |
| 0.2 : M McClenaghan to du Plessis, Good delivery! Extra bounce there! Length and around off, it takes off after pitching and also angles away. Faf looks to stroke it on the up but gets beaten. |
| 0.3 : M McClenaghan to du Plessis, FOUR! Glorious! Faf du Plessis is off the mark in style. Mitchell bowls a half volley outside off, Faf leans into it and strokes it through covers. The ball races away. |
| 0.4 : M McClenaghan to du Plessis, A single to follow the boundary! On the pads, Faf works it towards fine leg and gets to the other end. |
| 0.5 : M McClenaghan to S Watson, Slightly full on off, Watson should be playing that off the front foot but he goes back and guides it to point. |
| 0.6 : M McClenaghan to S Watson, A couple to end the over! A good one for Chennai. Shortish and on middle, Watson stands tall and pulls it to the left of mid-wicket for a couple. |
| Krunal Pandya to bowl from the other end. |
| 1.1 : K Pandya to du Plessis, Nearly a return catch first ball for Krunal Pandya! He delivers a shortish ball outside off and it holds up a bit onto the batsman. Du Plessis sticks on the back foot and then checks his shot at the last moment. Krunal dives across to his left, gets his fingertips onto it as the ball travels behind to long off. A single is taken. Mumbai need these chances to stick. |
| 1.2 : K Pandya to S Watson, That has been creamed! Full and outside off, Watson hits it right off the middle but straight to covers. |
| 1.3 : K Pandya to S Watson, Outside off, plenty of width, driven straight to point. |
| 1.4 : K Pandya to S Watson, FOUR! That is a beauty. Tossed up, outside off, Watto leans and drives it through the covers! |
| 1.5 : K Pandya to S Watson, Flatter and shorter on middle, Watson moves back and helps it on the leg side. Pandya moves across to his right to stop the ball and du Plessis is sent back by Shane. |
| 1.6 : K Pandya to S Watson, Floated one, full and on off, a bit of a drift, Watson defends it off his front foot to the off side. |
| Lasith Malinga is on now! |
| 2.1 : L Malinga to du Plessis, A single! Back of a length on off, this is guided through point. |
| 2.2 : L Malinga to S Watson, Back of a length on middle, Watson nudges it to square leg. |
| 2.3 : L Malinga to S Watson, Slower one and on off, Watson guides it to point. |
| 2.4 : L Malinga to S Watson, Watson stays leg side of this delivery and Malinga bowls it just short and outside off, Watson looks to cut but is beaten. That shot was never on. Just the single from the over so far. |
| 2.5 : L Malinga to S Watson, A direct hit and Watson was a goner! A very risky run that. The pressure of dot balls forced him to do so. Watson pushes it straight to covers and sets off. Kishan there picks it up and has a shy at the non-striker's end but misses. Replay shows Watson's dive would not have saved him. |
| 2.6 : L Malinga to du Plessis, FIVE RUNS! Bonus runs for Chennai. Not what Mumbai can afford. To begin with, it was another run out chance. Faf taps it to the left of de Kock and sets off for a single. Quinton picks the ball up and has a shy at the non-striker's end but misses. There is no one backing up and the ball goes to the fence. The last ball somewhat spoils the over for Malinga. 7 from it. |
| 3.1 : K Pandya to du Plessis, Goes on the back foot and punches it to covers. |
| 3.2 : K Pandya to du Plessis, FOUR! Thumped! Loopy and full around middle, du Plessis jumps out of the crease and powers it over the bowler's head. Terrific footwork. |
| 3.3 : K Pandya to du Plessis, SIX! High and handsome! Krunal tries following the batsman down the line with a flatter full ball, Faf hops back and hoists it over long on for a biggie. Chennai are cruising! |
| 3.4 : K Pandya to du Plessis, FOUR! Faf keeps going and keeps getting the desired result. Makes room and Krunal fires it full on middle, this is driven square on the off side. Beats the fielders inside the ring and then there is no stopping it. |
| 3.5 : K Pandya to du Plessis, Makes room again but this is short and on middle, Faf cuts it but finds point. |
| 3.6 : K Pandya to du Plessis, OUT! Faf du Plessis is stumped out! Krunal gets his revenge eventually. Smart bowling by him. He senses the charge from the batsman again and smartly slips in a fullish ball wide outside off. Du Plessis fails to reach out and de Kock behind the stumps does the rest. The cameo from the South African is over but he has done the early damage. 117 needed off 96 balls. |
| Suresh Raina is the new man in! Also, Jasprit Bumrah is on. |
| 4.1 : J Bumrah to S Watson, Back of a length on off, Watson guides it down to third man for a single. |
| 4.2 : J Bumrah to S Raina, Well bowled and well kept! A bumer and it is a well-directed one. Raina evades it. The ball keeps rising as it reaches the keeper. Quinton leaps and takes it with one hand. |
| 4.3 : J Bumrah to S Raina, Down the leg side, it is worked towards fine leg for a run. Raina gets underway! |
| 4.4 : J Bumrah to S Watson, Back of a length again and Watson plays it late and down towards third man for one. |
| 4.5 : J Bumrah to S Raina, The slower delivery and it is shorter in length on the body, Raina pulls it through square leg for a couple. |
| 4.6 : J Bumrah to S Raina, Back of a length and on off, Raina goes back and blocks it out. Just the 5 from Bumrah's first, a tight one to begin by him. |
| Lasith Malinga to bowl the last over of the Powerplay! |
| 5.1 : L Malinga to S Watson, Clever slower one. A touch short and around off, Watson plays it late and deflects it down towards short third man. Looks for a run but Raina sends him back. |
| 5.2 : L Malinga to S Watson, FOUR! Edgy from Watson this time! Malinga spears in a very full ball on off, Shane winds up for a big shot across the line but ends up slicing it off the outer half of his bat. It flies past the right side of the diving backward point fielder for a boundary. |
| 5.3 : L Malinga to S Watson, Back of a length ball on off, Watson cuts it off his back foot but finds point. |
| 5.4 : L Malinga to S Watson, SIX! This one has disappeared! Malinga attempts the slower one but fails to get his line right. It's on the pads and Watson muscles his slog sweep behind square leg for a maximum. |
| 5.5 : L Malinga to S Watson, Wide called for height! Malinga goes full pace this time. Speeds in and bends his back to dig in a short ball. It shoots off the surface as Watson attempts to pull it on the leg side. It bounces over his bat and de Kock does really well to jump and collect the ball. |
| L Malinga to S Watson, FOUR! Bang! A typical Watson shot! There isn't enough room on this one, it's bowled around off, Shane jumps on the back foot to create room and whacks it past the right side of short third man for a boundary. |
| 5.6 : L Malinga to S Watson, Angles in a length ball on middle, Watson closes the face of his bat and helps it on the leg side. Finds the fielder. 15 from the over, Chennai have cruised to 53/1 in the Powerplay, that's a rarity for them this season. Anyway, in the all-important final, they have got the best possible start in spite of losing du Plessis. |
| The strategic break has been signaled and it is a much-needed one for Mumbai. Chennai are going along really well here. They are the one who have dominated the Powerplay and they need another 97 in 84 balls. They would hope to continue in the same manner. Mumbai on the other hand, need wickets and a couple of them that too quickly. They now have time to re-group and come up with a plan. Will they fight back or will Chennai continue to dominate? Also, Mitchell McClenaghan is back! |
| 6.1 : M McClenaghan to S Raina, Good length delivery sliding down the leg side, Raina goes on his toes and glances it down towards long leg for a run. |
| 6.2 : M McClenaghan to S Watson, Slower length ball on off, angling away at 117 kph, Watson stays back footed and dabs it down past backward point to third man. He jogs across to the other end for a single. |
| 6.3 : M McClenaghan to S Raina, Wide! McClenaghan loses his line this time and bowls it down the leg side. Raina tries his best to put bat on ball but fails. |
| Suresh Raina has been given out caught behind! He has immediately taken the review. Has it missed his bat or gloves? Let's find out... |
| M McClenaghan to S Raina, NOT OUT! Raina has made the best possible use of the technology and buys himself a life. Coming to the delivery, McClenaghan tries to reopen those old scars of Raina by digging in a short ball at 140.4 kph. Suresh is caught in a tangle and awkwardly tries to fend at it. His eyes are off the ball as it sails over him, going very closely past his gloves. Quinton de Kock collects the ball and tosses it up in celebration. The bowler also turns in appeal and the umpire |
| 6.4 : M McClenaghan to S Raina, A length ball angling into the batsman, the line is too straight and Raina easily tucks it behind square leg for one. |
| 6.5 : M McClenaghan to S Watson, Appeal for an lbw! A slower one deceiving Watson. He tries to flick it on the leg side but is beaten due to the lack of pace. Gets hit on the pads, the bowler appeals but it pitched outside leg. |
| 6.6 : M McClenaghan to S Watson, Inside edge! A delivery bowled very full and around off at 141 kph, Watson tries flicking but it takes the inside edge and deflects off his boot to covers. Dot ball to end a 4-run over. |
| Rahul Chahar is on now! |
| 7.1 : R Chahar to S Raina, Tossed up ball on middle, Raina works it with the spin towards long leg and runs the first run hard. Turns for the second but Watson is not interested. |
| 7.2 : R Chahar to S Watson, Gets away with a poor delivery, Chahar! Flatter and shorter ball on off, Watson gets back to pull it across the line but finds the mid-wicket fielder inside the ring. |
| 7.3 : R Chahar to S Watson, A leg spinner again on the shorter side, allowing the batsman time to get back and slap it down to sweeper cover. A single is taken. |
| 7.4 : R Chahar to S Raina, Quicker one, fired in full on middle at 96 kph, Raina helped it in front of square leg. Dot ball. |
| 7.5 : R Chahar to S Raina, Another dot ball. A googly on the slower side around off, Raina plays at it late but still finds short third man. |
| 7.6 : R Chahar to S Raina, The line is straight and Raina flicks it with the spin behind square leg for one. 3 from this one, 7 in the last two, Mumbai trying to choke the run flow post the Powerplay. |
| 8.1 : M McClenaghan to S Raina, Phew! Had Raina missed that, he was a plumb lbw candidate. McClenaghan goes for the slower yorker, he hurls it in at 111 kph and it reaches Raina on the full. The southpaw does well to get his bat down just in time as he deflects it down to fine leg for a run. The Kiwi was seen appealing but to no avail. |
| 8.2 : M McClenaghan to S Watson, FOUR! Boom! Watson has absolutely thwacked it. This one is a bit overpitched around off, Watson gets behind the line and spanks it past his partner at the other end for a boundary at long off. |
| 8.3 : M McClenaghan to S Watson, Wide! Slower one, on a length and outside off, Watson leaves it alone. A touch and go call that but the umpire has stretched his arms to signal a wide. |
| M McClenaghan to S Watson, Mistimed shot! A slower one again, fuller in length around off, Watson goes hard at it and drags it off the inside half of his blade to deep mid-wicket for a couple. |
| 8.4 : M McClenaghan to S Watson, In the air... IN THE AIR... The ball falls safely! Watson survives. McClenaghan nearly bounced him out there. He bangs it in short on middle, Watson top edges his attempted pull shot and it flies behind towards square leg. Malinga tries to get under it from short fine leg and then attempts to catch it with a dive but fails to even touch the ball. Two taken. |
| 8.5 : M McClenaghan to S Watson, Slower one, on the shorter side, Watson mistimes his pull shot back towards the bowler. |
| 8.6 : M McClenaghan to S Watson, Shortish and on off, Watson tries to run it down but finds short third man. 10 from the over. |
| 9.1 : R Chahar to S Raina, Beaten comprehensively! Chahar dishes out a leg spinner around middle and leg and gets it to spin back into the batsman. Raina sticks back to keep it out but it curls past him, beats the inside edge of his bat and goes to the keeper. |
| Raina has been adjudged LBW! He has a long chat with Watson and eventually takes the review. Looks very close. Might be umpire's call at best. |
| 9.2 : R Chahar to S Raina, OUT! That's hitting the middle stump! Raina's time is over! Chahar provides the breakthrough. A leg spinner again. Landing around middle and turning back in a shade. Raina rather than getting forward, stays back to work it around. He fails to put bat on ball and is hit flush on the pads. The finger goes up immediately after the appeal is made. Raina decides to once again chance his luck and takes the DRS. But this time the replays show that it has hit him in line and is |
| Ambati Rayudu walks in next. |
| 9.3 : R Chahar to A Rayudu, Greets the new batsman with a long hop on middle, Rayudu rocks back and pulls it to deep mid-wicket for a run. |
| 9.4 : R Chahar to S Watson, Short and wide outside off, Watson cuts it off his back foot through point for a run. |
| 9.5 : R Chahar to A Rayudu, Beauty to beat the bat! A lovely tossed up delivery, landing full around off and forcing the batsman forward. Rayudu tries to block but it spins past his bat. |
| 9.6 : R Chahar to A Rayudu, Goes on the back foot to play the square cut but finds point. 2 runs to end the 10th over, Chennai need 78 more for a win. |
| Jasprit Bumrah is back! |
| Rohit Sharma has gone back to his ace bowler realizing that this is a crunch moment in the run chase with a new batsman in the middle. |
| 10.1 : J Bumrah to S Watson, The batsman defends it from within the crease. |
| 10.2 : J Bumrah to S Watson, Shortish and on off, Watson remains back and taps it down to third man for a run. The Aussie showing his experience. |
| 10.3 : J Bumrah to A Rayudu, OUT! Bumrah has done the job. Rohit brought him to do just that. He digs in a short ball on middle at 136.4 kph, Rayudu tries his best to pull but fails to counter the extra bounce. It goes over his bat, tickles his gloves and flies behind to the keeper. Quinton de Kock makes no mistake and Mumbai are roaring back into this match. 77 needed off 57 balls as the crowd is going mad. It's time for, guess who? |
| The crowd erupts here as MS Dhoni walks out to the middle. The skipper needs to lead from the front like he always does. |
| 10.4 : J Bumrah to MS Dhoni, Beaten first up! Bumrah has his tail up. Steams in and delivers a good length ball outside off. It holds its line after pitching and Dhoni without any footwork is caught pushing and missing inside the line. |
| STAT ALERT - The Chahars are having a match to remember! Chahars - 4/31 (Econ - 5.17). Rest of the bowlers - 5/190 (Econ - 7.92). |
| 10.5 : J Bumrah to MS Dhoni, Hurls in a length delivery in the corridor outside off, Dhoni shoulders arms. |
| 10.6 : J Bumrah to MS Dhoni, Lands it on a length and close to off stump, Dhoni presses forward and pushes it to covers. Top over by Bumrah, just 1 run off it along with the wicket of Rayudu. |
| 11.1 : R Chahar to S Watson, Flighted delivery, landing in the blockhole, Watson does well to force it out down to long on for a run. |
| A slip in place... |
| 11.2 : R Chahar to MS Dhoni, What a delivery! Loopy leg spinner, landing full and outside off, Dhoni leans forward to push through the line but is beaten by the away spin. |
| 11.3 : R Chahar to MS Dhoni, Walks down the track and defends it on the leg side. |
| 11.4 : R Chahar to MS Dhoni, Shortish and outside off, MSD gets back and taps it down on the off side. Finds covers. |
| 11.5 : R Chahar to MS Dhoni, Jumps out of the crease to a full ball and pushes it down through mid off for a run. Dhoni is off the mark. |
| 11.6 : R Chahar to S Watson, FOUR! Misfield from Bumrah! Loopy delivery, around leg and going down, Watson kneels down and sweeps it firmly in the direction of short fine leg. Bumrah there puts in a dive to his left but it brushes his hands and runs behind for a boundary. 71 needed off 48 balls. |
| Hardik Pandya is on now! |
| 12.1 : H Pandya to MS Dhoni, Fractionally short and around off, Dhoni hangs on the back foot and punches it to sweeper cover for a single. |
| 12.2 : H Pandya to S Watson, An off pace delivery, short and wide outside off, Watson mistimes his cut shot to point. |
| 12.3 : H Pandya to S Watson, Wide! This one is served on a length but way wide outside off. Shane allows it through to the keeper. |
| H Pandya to S Watson, Width on offer outside off, Watson cuts but finds the point fielder yet again. Really frustrating as a batsman. |
| STAT ALERT - Bumrah vs Dhoni in T20s (Prior to today). Runs - 47, Balls - 46, Outs - 3. This will be THE contest that decides the tournament. |
| Appeal for a run out. MS Dhoni is the batsman in question as there is a direct hit at the non-striker's end. Big moment in the match! This one is turning out to be very close. The third umpire is watching numerous angles, in one frame MS is in, in another, he appears short... Good luck to the third umpire. |
| 12.4 : H Pandya to S Watson, OUT! Dhoni is millimeters short is the verdict of Nigel Llong! Body blow to Chennai and Mumbai will be feeling on top. Hardik serves a short ball on middle, Watson tries to pull it but fails to middle his shot properly. It probably goes off his gloves towards square leg and they cross. Dhoni calls his partner for the second as the fielder misses his shy at the bowler's end. The long off fielder runs in the deep and scores a direct hit at the bowler's end as Dhoni drag |
| Dwayne Bravo walks out to the middle. |
| 12.5 : H Pandya to S Watson, Back of a length around off, it is guided to short third man. |
| 12.6 : H Pandya to S Watson, Once again fails to find the gap in the backward point region. Slower and shorter outside off, Watson guides it to backward point. Just the three runs and the run out of Dhoni from the over. Probably the game-changing one. Chennai need 68 from 42 balls. |
| 13.1 : R Chahar to D Bravo, Bravo has played that off the front foot and into the ground. |
| 13.2 : R Chahar to D Bravo, Tossed up ball delivery outside off, Bravo gets forward and pushes it with an angled bat towards point for one. |
| 13.3 : R Chahar to S Watson, Flatter and a touch shorter on middle, Watson goes on the back foot and plays it down on the off side for a single. |
| 13.4 : R Chahar to D Bravo, Loopy and on middle, spinning away, Bravo is squared up and he keeps it out somehow from the outer half of his bat to short third man. Takes a run. |
| 13.5 : R Chahar to S Watson, DROPPED! Watson gets another life. Full and flighted on off, Watson drills his drive straight back to the bowler, it's aerial and Chahar reacts quickly to attempt for the catch. However, it's hit ferociously and the leggie fails to hang on. The wicket of Watson at this stage would have made things even better for Mumbai. |
| 13.6 : R Chahar to S Watson, Short and on off, punched off the back foot to covers. Just 3 from it and the dropped catch as well. Chahar finishes his spell with outstanding figures of 4-0-14-1! A big effort by the leggie in the final. |
| The final strategic break of this season has been signaled! 65 needed in 36. With Dhoni back in the hut, you have to say, it is Mumbai who are on top. However, Chennai still have Watson out there and it depends entirely on him from hereon. Can he once again be the hero for them in the final or will Mumbai be the team to win it? Mitchell McClenaghan is back on. |
| 14.1 : M McClenaghan to D Bravo, A touch short in length around off, Bravo goes on his toes and defends it to the off side. |
| 14.2 : M McClenaghan to D Bravo, Back of a length delivery outside off, Bravo punches it square of the wicket on the off side but finds the point fielder. |
| 14.3 : M McClenaghan to D Bravo, Play and a miss! McClenaghan gets a length ball to leave the batsman with his natural left-arm angle. Bravo without any footwork pokes at it and misses. |
| 14.4 : M McClenaghan to D Bravo, Shortish and outside off, Dwayne rises on his back foot and slaps it past backward point. The third man fielder mops it up in the deep and they take a couple of runs. |
| 14.5 : M McClenaghan to D Bravo, A bouncer around leg, Bravo ducks underneath it. |
| 14.6 : M McClenaghan to D Bravo, Fractionally short and outside off, Bravo hits it in front of square on the off side and collects a run to close the over. McClenaghan also bowls out, 4-0-24-0, an economical spell by him. |
| Lasith Malinga is back! |
| 15.1 : L Malinga to D Bravo, SIX! Ufff... those wrists of steel! Malinga spears in a fuller length ball on middle and leg, Bravo swings his bat across the line and dismisses it over mid-wicket. |
| 15.2 : L Malinga to D Bravo, A low dipping full toss on off, Bravo goes hard at it and hits it down to long on for a run. |
| 15.3 : L Malinga to S Watson, EDGY FOUR! Malinga is very full with his length, it's just outside off, Watson crouches a bit to hit it square on the off side but it takes the outside edge and screams past short third man for a boundary. |
| 15.4 : L Malinga to S Watson, FOUR! Another streaky boundary to bring up Chennai's 100 and Watson's fifty! Malinga offers width outside off, Shane throws his bat at it and ends up slicing it off the outside edge behind backward point. No chance for the fielder in the deep. |
| 15.5 : L Malinga to S Watson, FOUR! Watson has launched himself here. 19 from the over, so far. Malinga once again fails to find the blockhole and ends up delivering a juicy half-volley outside off. Watson latches onto it and spanks it to the deep cover fence. |
| 15.6 : L Malinga to S Watson, Malinga switches to 'round the wicket and finally manages to hit the yorker mark. Watson squeezes it out to the off side and takes a run. 20 from the over, 42 needed off 24 balls. |
| Jasprit Bumrah is brought back into the attack! |
| 16.1 : J Bumrah to S Watson, CHAHAR DROPS! Costly miss. Has he dropped the trophy? Bumrah's short ball has been pulled without timing over square leg. Chahar tries to get under it in the deep and take the catch but it pops out of his hands. Bumrah is distraught. One more run added to the total. |
| 16.2 : J Bumrah to D Bravo, Bumrah follows the batsman down the leg side and Bravo tries to help it on its way but is cramped for room. It goes off the outer half of his bat on the leg side and they cross. |
| 16.3 : J Bumrah to S Watson, Beaten in pace! That's quick from Bumrah. It's short and around off, Watson rocks back to play the square cut but it whizzes past his blade. |
| 16.4 : J Bumrah to S Watson, MIX-UP, SAFE! A length ball, around middle and leg, Watson looks to swipe across the line but misses. The ball hits his bats and deflects to the off side. Bravo is looking for the single but Watto sends him back. Bumrah rushes to his left, picks it up and has a shy at the bowler's end and appeals but umpire Ian Gould does not even take it upstairs. Replays show that Bravo is well in. |
| 16.5 : J Bumrah to S Watson, Extra for Chennai! Bumrah digs in a shortish ball, Watson tries hooking but once again fails to connect. De Kock fails to collect it with a jump to his left and they steal a bye. |
| 16.6 : J Bumrah to D Bravo, Taps a length ball to the right of the point fielder and crosses for a run. Just 4 from the over. 38 needed off 18 balls. |
| Krunal Pandya to bowl now. This is a gamble from Rohit Sharma. Could go either way. |
| 17.1 : K Pandya to D Bravo, Arrows in a very full ball on middle, almost a yorker, Bravo stays leg side to this one and drives it through covers for a single. |
| 17.2 : K Pandya to S Watson, SIX! Watson has sent it rocketing over covers. Clean hit. Clean as a whistle! Floated one, full and wide outside off, Watson unleashes onto the room on offer and dispatches it into the stand. |
| 17.3 : K Pandya to S Watson, SIX! Watson goes straight and clears the rope yet again! Flatter delivery, a touch short and on middle, Shane goes on the back foot and bludgeons it over the bowler's head. 25 needed off 15 balls! |
| 17.4 : K Pandya to S Watson, SIX! Out of here! Hat-trick of sixers! Watson, you ageless beauty! Loopy delivery, full and around leg, Shane clears his front leg, goes down on one knee and smokes it over mid-wicket. |
| 17.5 : K Pandya to S Watson, DOT BALL! Krunal sees the batsman making room wide outside off and he fires it very full and just inside the tramline. Watson leaves. |
| 17.6 : K Pandya to S Watson, Too full in length and outside off, Watson drills it towards point where the fielder makes a half-stop with a dive. A single is taken to cap off a 20-run over. 50-RUN STAND COMES UP, IN 32 BALLS. 18 needed off 12 balls. |
| 18.1 : J Bumrah to S Watson, Back of a length delivery angling into the batsman, Watson stays back and pulls it aerially through mid-wicket for a run. |
| 18.2 : J Bumrah to D Bravo, OUT! Bravo is caught behind! This match is not over yet. Going right down to the wire. Bumrah bowls it with a lot of fire and intensity. Digs in a short ball on middle at 148.5 kph, Bravo moves back to play a big pull shot but edges it behind. Third dismissal in the match for de Kock. 17 needed off 10 balls. |
| Ravindra Jadeja walks out to the middle. |
| 18.3 : J Bumrah to R Jadeja, Switches to 'round the wicket and spears in a very full ball on off. Jadeja swings his bat at it and inside edges it past the stumps and behind square leg. They take a couple of runs. |
| 18.4 : J Bumrah to R Jadeja, Flashes and misses! Sharp short delivery around off at 146.9 kph, Jadeja hangs back to hit it square of the wicket on the off side but is beaten due to the excessive pace. |
| 18.5 : J Bumrah to R Jadeja, Angles in a length ball on middle, Jadeja gets inside the line and slogs it over mid-wicket. McClenaghan in the deep stops the ball, slips a bit and that's enough for the batsmen to pinch the second run. |
| 18.6 : J Bumrah to R Jadeja, Four byes! What a point in the match to err! Bumrah dishes out a sharp delivery again, it's short and outside off, Jadeja swishes and misses. De Kock tries to collect but it goes right through his gloves and reaches the fence behind. |
| Who will bowl the final over? 9 needed. 8 for a Super Over. Lasith Malinga will bowl it. 3-0-42-0 so far. |
| 19.1 : L Malinga to S Watson, A low full toss on middle, Watson hops back and forces it down to long on for a single. 8 needed off 5 balls. |
| 19.2 : L Malinga to R Jadeja, Too full in length on middle, Jadeja hits it right back to the bowler who fails to stop it cleanly and they scamper across for a quick single. |
| 19.3 : L Malinga to S Watson, Malinga continues to be very full and around leg, Watson fails to get under the line entirely but still whips it down to wide long on for a brace. 5 needed off 3 balls. |
| Appeal for a run out! Shane Watson is the batsman in question. Has he made it with a dive? Looks out. Let's see... |
| 19.4 : L Malinga to S Watson, OUT! Watson is run out! What a big moment in this match! A very full length delivery outside off, Shane squeezes it out through backward point and crosses for a run. Plenty of hesitation over the second run and Watson eventually decides to go for it. The throw comes to the keeper who collects it and deflects it onto the stumps as the Aussie dives in. It's referred upstairs and the replays find Watson well short. Fantastic knock by him but he has left his team in a sp |
| Shardul Thakur walks out to bat! He somehow needs to get bat to ball. That will surely be the message given to him before walking out. |
| 19.5 : L Malinga to S Thakur, Full toss on middle and leg, Thakur stands back inside the crease and swings it through square leg for a couple of runs. 2 needed off 1. Super Over? |
| Tension everywhere! Prayers are on. Players are taking their own sweet time. What a final! |
| 19.6 : L Malinga to S Thakur, OUT! MUMBAI ARE THE CHAMPIONS FOR THE FOURTH TIME! Malinga holds his composure. He delivers a slower full length ball on middle and leg, Thakur is deceived there as he is early into his shot. Misses the ball completely and is rapped on the pads. They appeal and the umpire has his finger up almost instantly. Start the celebration, Mumbai. Rohit Sharma is running in joy. The Mumbai dugout has gone mad. The crowd is jumping up and down. Off go the fireworks. What an atm |
| Unbelievable again. How many nails are left on your fingers? Not many on mine. Just wondering - are there more twists on a path around a hill or in this game? So many turns. Mumbai winning, Chennai winning, no, Mumbai winning again, wait... Chennai back on... oh wow... Super Over and eventually, the game is over! |
| Second 1-run win for Mumbai in the final of an Indian T20 League tournament. Remember the 2017 final against Pune? That was a 1-run victory as well. |
| The orchestrators of this win were three people - Kieron Pollard, Jasprit Bumrah and Rahul Chahar. Pollard because, his unbeaten 41 took Mumbai to a competitive total. Bumrah ensured that after the early leakage of runs, there was control in the middle overs and the end but what a spell Rahul Chahar bowled. 4-0-14-1 - same as Bumrah with one wicket less but the choke that he had during the middle overs was exceptional. |
| Easily, Chennai panicked. This is what happens when you depend only on one or two players. Dhoni - their go-to man throughout the tournament - failed here. Watson - a man for the big finals - did it again but could not quite take his team over the line. But there was nothing from the other batsmen, with almost everyone throwing it away. Normally, just one solid partnership and one good innings at the top are required chasing 150 or below. Chennai had both. But Mumbai had the unbelievable never-s |
| Chennai got off to a decent start, racking up 53/1 in the Powerplay. Then the choke began, which resulted in the momentum shifting. The defending champions slipped from 70/1 to 82/4 in the span of 21 balls and suddenly, Mumbai were favourites to win. But then, Watson started to come into his own. He took on Lasith Malinga in the 16th over and that changed complexion again. But on the penultimate ball, with 5 needed, Watson got run out while taking the second and that, once again, turned the game |
| Time for some chatting. Pollard, Malinga and Bumrah first up, with Sanjay Manjrekar. |
| Kieron Pollard starts by saying these are the games you want to perform and these are what people remember. Mentions he was just trying to stick there till the end and it worked well for him. Further adds Bumrah and Malinga were brilliant and they pulled it off for Mumbai. States 2017 was a similar match where they did not put up a lot of runs and it went down to the last ball. Reckons the team that panics would probably end up on the losing side. States it was a team effort and he is pleased th |
| Jasprit Bumrah then says the ball was reversing a little bit towards the end. On the game getting close, Jasprit says that the team tried to stay as calm as possible. Mentions it went till the last ball like the 2017 final. Further adds he always believed in his team. States they are confident in their team players and he is pleased they are the champions. |
| Lasith Malinga says they needed a wicket, he wanted a wicket and he went for a wicket taking delivery. Nothing more is asked... |
| This is a final. So no stoppage of interviews. More are coming. Here are the Pandya brothers. |
| Krunal Pandya says that it was an unbelievable game. Tells that it's a dream come true for him and mentions that Mumbai was his dream team when he wasn't even a part. |
| Hardik Pandya says that they kept telling each other it will be 4-0 but admits that it was very tight. Adds that before making his debut, he had the image of the Mumbai franchise as his wallpaper on the phone and calls Krunal a pillar in his life. Adds that he keeps on learning things from him every day. Mentions that his plan was to win this League and is targeting the World Cup now and wants to win that too. |
| The fireworks go high in the night sky and let us now see what SKY has to say... |
| Suryakumar Yadav says it was a very exciting and the perfect final. Mentions they wanted this to happen at the end of the season and he is pleased. States the routine the team follows is very important, they have great chemistry and they study the opposition a lot which helps them win titles. |
| Ishan Kishan now says this is the best part of the T20 format and Mumbai are known to make a comeback. Reckons they won the crucial parts of the game. Ends by saying he was backing Bumrah as he had two overs left and the pacer did his job extremely well. |
| Hola! says Shane Bond. Don't leave me out! Here come the Kiwi duo of Bondy and McClenaghan. |
| Mitchell McClenaghan smiles and says that he is proud of the whole squad and praises all the boys who did the dirty work behind the scene. Mentions that they give it their all. |
| Shane Bond says that it's the culmination of a lot of hard work. Admits that 150 was a below par total but they knew they have quality bowlers and there will be the pressure of the final. Says that this League is draining and he is going to take some time off. Mentions about Jason Behrendorff and Alzarri Joseph who are not here but also played their part. Thanks all the players and their families for their contribution. |
| Okay. Time to talk to the maestros. Batting mentor Mahela Jayawardene and Mumbai's icon Sachin Tendulkar. |
| Mahela Jayawardene says you can't control the match from the dugout but they trust the players out there. Feels they had the game in the bag when Dhoni was run out but Watson came out all guns blazing. States they wanted to defend but they do not want such close games. Says Pollard has the experience and also has a good record against Chennai. They had lost a couple of wickets quickly and hence, he was sent up the order. Stresses that Bumrah and Rahul Chahar bowled brilliantly and he came of age |
| Sachin Tendulkar now says the key moment was Dhoni's run out. But also feels that Bumrah's overs were very crucial especially after Malinga and Krunal went for runs. Appreciates Malinga's effort in the last over and feels he bowled a brilliant last over. Remembers the last final here in 2017 when they defended 129 and they have defended another low score tonight. Sachin adds further they have a mixture of youth and experience. Believes Rahul Chahar is the stand out for them this season and he fe |
| Finally... phew this is tiring... the Mumbai owners come on to talk. The mother and son are all smiles... |
| Nita Ambani says that it was very tense and she wasn't watching the ball and was going by the reaction of the crowd. Counts all the years they have won the title and congratulates Rohit Sharma for leading the team so well. |
| Akash Ambani praises Lasith Malinga for his outstanding bowling at the death. Feels the environment around in the team is the key to their success as they treat everyone as one family. |
| Finally, we are ready for the actual presentation... |
| First comes the Man Of The Final - JASPRIT BUMRAH - for his 4-0-14-2. Modestly says that he is very happy. Stresses that Mumbai know that in finals, things go very close, so all the players were very calm. He adds that even in his final over, he was trying to be calm and was focused on bowling one ball at a time, not thinking about any other pressure and backs himself in any situation. |
| SHUBMAN GILL has been given the EMERGING PLAYER OF THE YEAR award. The 19-year old looks to be having a very good career ahead of him, with all the shots from the cricketing book. |
| Australia's David Warner, playing for Hyderabad, is awarded the leading run-getter of the season with 692 runs. Before he left, he managed to record an interview. Thanks the organizers for this award but also stresses that players do not play for awards. Thanks the Hyderabad crowd for religiously coming out in large numbers and says that he enjoys the Indian T20 League the most. |
| IMRAN TAHIR is given the award for taking the most number of wickets this season - 26. Believes that age is just a number (he is 40 now) and thanks Chennai for repeatedly giving him opportunities. Is sad that the team could not win but praises Mumbai for playing well. On playing in the Indian T20 League, Tahir says that it is not easy to bowl on such pitches and that too, against the best batsmen in the world but he believed in himself. On being jokingly asked whether he can play for another 10 |
| The match officials are given their match medallions. |
| Chennai skipper, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, says that as a team they had a good season but wants to go back and discuss how to win finals. Admits that throughout the tournament, batting never clicked but somehow they managed to get to this stage but here, the poor batting cost them. Smiles and says that during the game, it felt like Mumbai and Chennai were passing the trophy to one another but eventually Mumbai held their nerve. Feels that bowling was Chennai's strength and even in the final, they di |
| Victorious Mumbai skipper, Rohit Sharma, is all smiles. Says that throughout the tournament, Mumbai played good cricket which is the reason they finished on top. Stresses that they got some momentum at the start in the first half and when that was achieved, all plans started falling into place. Praises each and every player of the 25-man squad for chipping in at some point of time. Believes that Mumbai's bowling was excellent in this game with the bowlers putting their hand up post the Powerplay |
| Finished! Yet another season of the Indian T20 league comes to a close. It was nothing sort of thrilling, right from the start to the finish, but all good things have to come to an end. But 2019 has some added bonus. If this league is over, why mull over? Because an even bigger bonanza is coming! 10 teams, 45 league matches, 2 semi-finals and the mega final - in England, starting from May 30, with England and South Africa kicking things off! Do join us for that. ADIOS! TAKE CARE! |
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