Dhoni’s CSK Fizzle Out as Mumbai Indians Win IPL8 Final By 41 Runs
Rohit Sharma’s love story with Eden Gardens continues as the Mumbai Indians skipper lifts the IPL8 trophy in Kolkata.
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Mumbai Indians and their skipper Rohit Sharma’s love affair with Eden Gardens continued as they clinched their second IPL title following a 41-run win over Chennai Super Kings in a lop-sided summit clash on Sunday.
Mumbai’s Charge
After being put into bat first, Mumbai Indians posted an imposing 202 for five with skipper Rohit Sharma (50) and Lendl Simmons (68) notching up a 119-run stand off just from 67 balls.
The Mumbai skipper, who has an ODI world record of 264 and also got a debut Test hundred at the Eden Gardens, yet again exploded at his favourite venue.
Sharma (6 fours, 2 sixes) and Simmons (8 fours 3 sixes) plundered 19 boundaries in their partnership.
After Sharma and Pollard’s dismissal in consecutive balls, burly West Indies batsman Kieron Pollard (36) in the company of Ambati Rayudu (36 not out) led the side past 200.
Chennai’s Stuttering Chase
With a solid 203 runs to defend, the Mumbai bowlers complimented the good work of the batsmen as they kept the pressure on the Chennai side from the very start - sending back Mike Hussey in the fifth over itself, for 4.
Fellow opener Dwayne Smith and Suresh Raina bided their time and looked to consolidate after that, but it meant that they managed only 31 runs from the first six overs. The required run-rate kept on going up and shot past 13 at the midway mark.
Smith completed his half-century in 45 balls but only to be trapped lbw by Harbhajan in his penultimate over.
Having made a grand comeback into the Bangladesh-bound Test side, Harbhajan completed his spell in style dismissing Raina. Looking to step out, Raina was brilliantly deceived by the veteran off-spinner who bowled a wide ball and Parthiv Patel did the rest behind the stumps.
With Hussey, Smith and Raina back in pavillion, and skipper Dhoni not looking in his usual elements it looked as good as over for the yellow brigade who choked in an IPL final for a fourth time.
Harbhajan finished with the two key wickets of Dwayne Smith (57) and Suresh Raina (28) in his four overs. Kiwi paceman Mitchell McClenaghan (3/25) took three wickets while his Lankan pace colleague Lasaith Malinga (2/25) scalped two batsmen.
Mumbai had won their first title in 2013 at this very venue, defeating the same rivals. Chennai have now lost four finals (2008, 2012, 2013, 2015) in six appearances.
(With inputs from PTI)
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