| Indian Premier League final, Dubai |
| Delhi Capitals 156-7 (20 overs): Iyer 65* (50), Pant 56 (38), Boult 3-30 |
| Mumbai Indians 157-5 (18.4 overs): Rohit 68 (51), Kishan 33* (19) |
| Mumbai Indians won by five wickets |
| Scorecard |
Mumbai Indians secured a fifth Indian Premier League title with a five-wicket win over Delhi Capitals in the final.
Mumbai, the most successful team in IPL history, chased 157 with eight balls to spare as captain Rohit Sharma hit 68.
Trent Boult took 3-30 for Mumbai, including Marcus Stoinis with the first ball of the match in Dubai.
Delhi were 22-3 before captain Shreyas Iyer made 65 not out – he added 96 with Rishabh Pant – but Mumbai ensured their total was never enough.
The defending champions were always in control of their chase after Rohit and Quinton de Kock plundered 45 from the first four overs.
Rohit was caught at deep mid-wicket with 20 needed from 23 balls and, although Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya soon followed, Ishan Kishan’s unbeaten 33 off 19 balls took Mumbai to victory.
It follows their IPL wins in 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019 and means they have won the world’s premier domestic Twenty20 competition at least twice more than any other team.
This year’s tournament was held in the United Arab Emirates without fans and delayed from the spring because of the coronavirus pandemic.
England pace bowler Jofra Archer was named as the most valuable player. He took 20 wickets and scored 113 runs, including 10 sixes, for Rajasthan Royals.
Mumbai too good again
A comprehensive win for Mumbai was a fitting end to a tournament in which they have been the outstanding team.
New Zealand seamer Boult, who starred throughout with 25 wickets, bowled a brilliant new-ball spell to put the game in their favour.
Delhi rallied through Iyer and Pant, who made 56 off 38 balls, but Mumbai finished the innings impressively, conceding only 20 runs off the last three overs.
Rohit batted majestically, hitting five fours and four sixes in his trademark, classical style. His first six, over long-on off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, came from the third ball of the chase.
Rohit fell with the end in sight but so comfortable was the win that Mumbai’s bench were able to shake hands in celebration before the winning runs were hit.
Delhi fall short as big names fail
Delhi were appearing in their first IPL final and had lost all three previous meetings with Mumbai this season. They were underdogs before the showpiece began and suffered as their key players failed.
Australia all-rounder Stoinis edged Boult behind to fall for a first-ball duck and fellow opener Shikhar Dhawan, Delhi’s highest run-scorer in the tournament, made only 15. He was bowled playing an ill-advised sweep to off-spinner Jayant Yadav in the fourth over.
Defending a low total, South Africa pace bowler Kagiso Rabada – the tournament’s leading wicket-taker – could not prevent the Mumbai openers’ onslaught and conceded 18 from his first over.
He returned again when Mumbai lost their second wicket – Suryakumar Yadav was run out for 19 after a mix-up with Rohit – and was hit for 11 as Rohit ensured Delhi were unable to come back into the game.
‘Mumbai were the best team’ – what they said
Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting: “You’ve got to give credit where credit’s due. Mumbai have been the best team throughout the IPL.
“I am proud of this team. It is a great group of players and a great franchise. Mumbai Indians thoroughly deserved their win.”
Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma: “I’m pretty happy with how things went.
“We said at the beginning we want to make winning a habit for us and guys were excellent throughout the tournament. We couldn’t have asked much more. We never looked back.”
Article courtesy of BBC Sport
Source link
