HYDERABAD: Mumbai Indians clinched Rising Pune Supergiant by a single run in a gripping Indian Premier League final on Sunday to claim their third title.
Pune captain Steve Smith hit a crucial 51 that seemed to put Pune on course for victory in the chase for Mumbai’s 129-8 in Hyderabad.
But he was then one of two wickets to fall in straight balls to Smith’s compatriot Mitchell Johnson in the final over and Pune ended on 128-6.
Mumbai seemed to be struggling after openers Parthiv Patel and Lendl Simmons went in the third over to Pune paceman Jaydev Unadkat. Hardik Pandya smashed 47 — including 37 off three overs — to give Mumbai a total they could defend.
“The key was Steve Smith and MS Dhoni,” said Mumbai coach Robin Singh.
Mumbai previously won the IPL in 2013 and 2015.
Pune managed to drag a chase of 130 to the last ball.
Now, Mitchell Johnson bowled to Daniel Christian with Pune needing four to win. Bowling from around the wicket, Johnson went full and straight. Christian whipped it away to the left of deep square leg. J Suchith, the substitute fielder, fumbled at the boundary, allowing a second run. That wouldn’t do for Pune. They needed four to win, and three to tie.
The batsmen chased a desperate third with Suchith’s throw almost already in Parthiv Patel’s gloves. Once Parthiv collected it safely, only one result was possible. Mumbai Indians, playing their fourth final, wrapped up their third title, winning by one run.
Krunal Pandya was Mumbai’s hero with the bat, his 38-ball 47 dragging them from 79 for 7 to an eventual 129 for 8, a total that would enable their bowlers to scrap all the way. Then, helped along by Pune’s ODI-style top-order approach, those scrapping bowlers managed to make the required rate creep steadily upwards — with five overs to go, Pune were only two down but needed 47 from 30.
Jasprit Bumrah took out MS Dhoni in the 17th over. Then Lasith Malinga and Bumrah again ensured Pune would only get two boundaries across the 18th and 19th. That left Steven Smith, batting on 51, and Manoj Tiwary 11 to get from the last over.
Despite taking a boundary off his first ball, they couldn’t quite do it against Johnson.
A first-ball leave from Lendl Simmons set the tone for a cautious start on a slower-than-usual Hyderabad surface, with only seven coming off the first two overs, against Jaydev Unadkat’s back-of-a-length cutters and Washington Sundar’s flat, stump-to-stump offspin.
Then Unadkat dismissed both openers in the third over — a short ball cramping Parthiv Patel’s attempt to pull, a cutter clipping Simmons’ leading edge and popping back for a diving return catch.
Mumbai never really recovered from there, despite Rohit Sharma smacking Lockie Ferguson for four fours in the sixth over. Adam Zampa removed Rohit and Kieron Pollard in the 12th over, and Mumbai were 65 for 5.