Mumbai Indians pipped Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in a thrilling last ball finish to win the 2019 Indian Premier League (IPL) final in Hyderabad on Sunday.
With 9 runs needed off the last over, Lasith Malinga got Shardul Thakur out lbw off the last ball to clinch the final by 1 run.
With the win, Mumbai Indians lifted its fourth IPL title having previously won in 2013, 2015, 2017. The Mumbai-based team had won its last two IPL final matches against CSK and had also won all three of its matches against CSK this season until Sunday's final.
An all-round team effort helped Mumbai restrict CSK to 148 in the chase with Jasprit Bumrah and Rahul Chahar starring with the ball.
After winning the toss, Mumbai Indians elected to bat first. But its innings struggled to get going as CSK's typically disciplined bowling kept the run-rate in check. Towards the end of the innings, Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard briefly threatened to take the total well past 150 however Deepak Chahar dismissed the former at a crucial time and despite a quick-fire 41 by Pollard, MI could only reach a score of 149.
Chasing 150 to win, CSK's batsmen started briskly. But Mumbai got themselves back in the game with a flurry of wickets including that of Dhoni in an extremely close run-out. But Shane Watson who scored 80 gave CSK the upper hand after he took 20 runs off the 18th over by Lasith Malinga. The Sri Lankan speedster however redeemed himself with a tight final over, which also included the crucial wicket of Watson who was run-out.
Sunrisers Hyderabad opener David Warner won the Orange Cap for scoring 692 runs in the tournament, while CSK spinner Imran Tahir won the Purple Cap for taking 26 wickets.
This is Mumbai's fourth IPL title and the franchise goes one step high of CSK which has won three titles. This was CSK's second consecutive final appearance since its return to the tournament after serving a two-year suspension in 2016 and 2017. Upon its return, CSK kept its faith in the players that were successful for the franchise and it managed to win the title in 2018.