Mumbai Indians beat Chennai Super Kings by 1 run

Sports Desk: Mumbai Indians won a record fourth Indian Premier League title after they beat Chennai Super Kings by a single run in a dramatic finish.

Mumbai set Chennai a target of 150 after hitting 149-8 from 20 overs with Kieron Pollard top scoring with 41.

Shane Watson's 80 took Chennai to the verge of victory, but needing nine to win off the last over, he was run out.

That left Shardul Thakur needing two runs off the final ball but he was trapped lbw by Lasith Malinga.

 

Mumbai's victory also denied Chennai a fourth title and the chance of retaining the Indian Premier League after winning the 2018 edition, their first since a two-year ban for their part in a corruption scandal.

 

Malinga struggled earlier on by giving away 49 runs in his four overs but the last two overs by the Sri Lankan and fellow pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who took 2-14, were decisive.

 

West Indies batsman Pollard's unbeaten 41 off 25 balls, alongside Quinton de Kock's 29 helped set up the Mumbai total.

 

"The team that panics less does better. It was a team performance," said Pollard.

 

Watson, who was dropped twice by Rahul Chahar, looked as though he would deliver victory after he smashed four sixes and eight fours in his 59-ball knock but he paid for a reckless run out when he attempted to get back on strike.

 

M.S. Dhoni was also dismissed in the same manner as Ishan Kishan's direct throw at the bowler's end put the defending champions in trouble at 82-4.

 

Dhoni only made two runs as most of the Chennai line-up struggled - Faf du Plessis (26) and Dwayne Bravo (15) the only batsmen other than Watson to reach double figures.

 

Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar, an advisor to the Mumbai team, nervously watched the finale and said Dhoni's run-out was a "key moment". Of the final over, he added: "I thought Malinga finished the game out beautifully."

 

Mumbai's victory added to their IPL titles in 2013 and 2015 - both against Chennai - and again in 2017 when they beat Rising Pune Supergiant by one run.

 

risingbd/May 13, 2019/Mukul