In a nail-biting finish, Mumbai Indians won the IPL 2019 just by one run and prevented defending champions Chennai Super Kings from retaining the trophy. Chasing a modest target of 150, most of Chennai’s batsmen failed to deliver, with the exception of Shane Watson. Watson almost took them over the line, but ultimately was dismissed in a last over run out. Although he lost the match, the Australian is getting a lot of praise after it emerged that he was playing with a bleeding knee.

A day after the finale, photos emerged of the ace Australian batsman playing with what appeared to be a bloody knee as images showed his yellow pant with bloodstains on it. Despite the injury, Watson pulled off a brilliant 80-run knock off 59 balls to change the momentum of the game in Chennai’s favour. The CSK was close to winning big but a superb slow ball by Lasith Malinga helped MI win the match by 1 run and fourth title.

Watson’s CSK teammate Harbhajan Singh praised the batsman for his dedication and revealed that the Australian required six stitches later.

In a post on his Instagram-story, Singh wrote, “Can you guys see the blood on his knee..he got 6 stitches after the game..got injured while diving but continue(d) to bat without telling anyone.�?He also added five stars and wrote, “That’s out Shane Watson. Almost pulled it for us last night.”�?/p>

Chennai fans also praised the Australian for going above and beyond to make sure his team wins.

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Chennai Super Kings made sure they returned with a bang, scripting one of the most memorable comebacks in the history of the league in their first-ever match of IPL 2018.

Chasing 166 against the then defending champions Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium, Chennai Super Kings were reeling at 84 for 6 after having lost their master finisher, MS Dhoni for just 5.

It seemed CSK’s much-anticipated comeback wasn’t going according to script. There were disappointed faces, wearing yellow in the crowd and in front of the television sets.

Jadhav, Bravo help CSK follow familiar script

However, Dwayne Bravo stepped up and pulled off a miracle and helped CSK announce their return to the IPL in the best possible way. Smashing 68, including 7 sixes, from just 38 balls, Bravo took them closer to the finish line.

However, the big-hitting West Indies all-rounder got out in the penultimate over and CSK were 9 down but an injured Kedar Jadhav, who had retired hurt earlier in the chase, walked in to complete the heist.

CSK needed 7 in the last over. MI needed just 1 wicket. Kedar Jahdav faced 3 dot balls against MI left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman but it seemed he believed the match could only go one way after Bravo’s heroics. A six and a boundary were hit off the 4th and the 5th balls.

The Super Kings were pumped up. The Wankhede crowd went silent and the Mumbai Indians dressing room was shell shocked.

MI’s struggles with close matches in IPL 2018

The 1-wicket defeat seemingly dealt a big blow to Mumbai Indians’ IPL 2018 campaign. MI went on to lose quite a few close matches throughout the season and missed the playoffs by just 2 points. The dominant narrative surrounding MI’s last season was their inability to close out matches.

They did not seize the crunch moments in the IPL 2018 opener against CSK and suffered a heartbreaking loss. Throughout the season, they struggled at peaking at the right moments.

On the other hand, CSK didn’t look back after getting out of jail as early as the campaign opener. Dhoni’s men went on to win the title on the return to the league, making it a fairytale comeback.

A year later, MI complete 4-0 whitewash against their arch-rivals. History created

Cut to 2019, Mumbai Indians, it seemed, had their plans laid out for their arch-rivals and familiar foes, Chennai Super Kings.

Mumbai Indians comfortably outclassed Chennai Super Kings at home and then successfully invaded their fortress, Chepauk.

After completing a double over CSK in the league stages, MI met their arch-rivals once again in the Qualifier 1 after the two IPL powerhouses finished inside the top 2 of the IPL 2019 points table.

CSK have often looked unbeatable on the slow Chepauk pitches but MI proved they aren’t going to be bullied by the Men in Yellow. CSK were handed a 6-wicket thrashing at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in the Qualifier 1.

The wicket was sluggish once again but MI gave CSK a taste of their own medicine. CSK were restricted to just 131 and Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan got the job done for MI with a match-winning 80-run stand for the 2nd wicket.

Captain Rohit Sharma, after winning the first qualifier, took pride in their performances over CSK and insisted that MI had an all-conditions attack and that helped them crack the Chepauk code.

Ahead of the final, a telling stat dominated the narrative in the lead-up to the big night. No team had beaten CSK more than 3 times in a season. CSK don’t often commit mistakes. If even they do, they don’t repeat them.

MI beat CSK in their own game, lift 4th title

Nonetheless, MI showed once again they were not bothered about numbers and reputation as they went on to beat CSK in their own game, once again.
MI beat CSK by 1 run in the IPL 2019 final and become the most successful IPL franchise.

CSK were well-placed in their chase of 150 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

CSK’s big-match player Shane Watson was at it again as he had smashed 76 from just 56 balls before CSK needed just 9 runs in the final over.

When Lasith Malinga, who had leaked 42 runs in his first 3 overs, came on to bowl the final over of the match, the odds were stacked in favour of CSK.

However, it was Mumbai’s turn to pull off a heist. Watson had survived several chances before the final over but he was run out in the 4th ball of the final over.

CSK needed 2 runs in the final ball. Malinga ran in and executed a perfect slower ball. Shardul Thakur, who is by no means, a mug with the bat, missed it. MI appealed. The umpire raised his finger without hesitating. The Mumbai dugout rejoiced. Their Chennai counterparts sank in disappointment.

Revenge was served cold.

Player of the Final

Jasprit Bumrah, for his spell of 4-0-14-2.

Season Awards

Orange Cap: David Warner

Purple Cap: Imran Tahir

Most Valuable Player: Andre Russell

Emerging Player: Shubman Gill

The post Perfect Endgame: Mumbai Indians clinch 4th IPL Title appeared first on Crickex.

MI won their maiden IPL title in 2013, and added to their tally in 2015 and 2017. Can they make it a fourth odd-year-win in a row? Or will MS Dhoni’s ‘dad’s army�?cause an upset and clinch a fourth title?

Road to the final was…

A groggy start met with typical, late acceleration

Mumbai Indians found starting trouble again and at the half-way stage in the league, had four wins from seven games. But once the business end kicked in, the muscle memory of excelling under extreme pressure took over . The result – five wins in the last seven games to go from being one of the playoffs spot scramblers to finishing top of the table.

Smooth at first, bumpy through the middle

Chennai Super Kings’ ride was nearly the opposite of what MI achieved. They were true to their title of defending champions at the start of the season, peeling off six wins in the first seven games. But through the latter stages, teams began to find flaws to pick. The result – three wins in the last seven games to finish second – based on an inferior NRR.

When: Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings, IPL 2019 Final, May 12, 2019 7:30 PM IST

Where: Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad

What to expect: The Hyderabad strip has been kind on the fast bowlers – to such an extent that Alzarri Joseph wiped out Sohail Tanvir’s 11-year-long best-bowling figures with a six-fer. The overall tally too is heavily skewed in favour of the quicks – 52 to 27 for the spinners. Weather-wise, temperatures in the early 30s during match time is expected to greet the two sides. There was rain on the eve of the game and there could be a slight chance of rain during the game as well.

Team news:

Mumbai Indians

Mumbai Indians have had the advantage of a mini-break before the final by the virtue of winning the first qualifier. But as Friday night’s game at Visakhapatnam unfolded, it brought them a match-up vs conditions dilemma. On a spinning Chepauk pitch, MI opted to bench Mitchell McClenaghan despite his previous game returns, just to bring in an offspinner in Jayant Yadav to trouble Suresh Raina early.

The CSK No.3 came with the reputation of getting better with the bat as the tournament progressed and has been particularly proficient in the knockouts. In the first qualifier though, MI’s move worked like a charm – Jayant claimed Raina’s wicket in his first over.

Going with the same team should be ideal then, but what of the conditions? Fast bowlers have thrived on the Hyderabad pitch this year, and SRH’s left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahemd’s numbers at home (10 wickets in 4 games) might tempt Rohit Sharma to bring back McClenaghan.

Probable XI: Quinton de Kock, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Krunal Pandya, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Rahul Chahar, Jayant Yadav/Mitchell McClenaghan, Lasith Malinga, Jasprit Bumrah

Chennai Super Kings

Going a batsman short against a Kagiso Rabada-less, bits-and-pieces Delhi Capitals bowling attack was a calculated move. But can such a decision come easy when it has to be carried off against the Jasprit Bumrah-fuelled bowling machinery of Mumbai Indians? Unlikely.

Shardul Thakur replaced Murali Vijay for the second qualifier, only to bowl just a single over. There’s a good chance then, CSK will revert to including an extra batsman in the line-up.

Probable XI: Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Harbhajan Singh, Imran Tahir, Shardul Thakur/Murali Vijay, Deepak Chahar

When in Hyderabad…

– Mumbai Indians looked ordinary with the bat, and lost their way early while trying to force the pace of the game. They started with an abysmal PowerPlay, and worsened exponentially then on, only for Kieron Pollard to hold it all together with a cameo. And then Joseph ran riot.

– Chennai Super Kings didn’t particularly enjoy batting either. The trip to Hyderabad came at a time when CSK had won six out of their seven games – with four of those coming on sluggish pitches at home. But they just couldn’t cope in Hyderabad through the middle-overs, and ended up with a sub-par total that David Warner & Co. easily surmounted. The good news though, is that Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis – CSK’s twin architects from their Q2 victory – got their eye in in that fixture.

Did you know:

– Mumbai Indians enjoy a 16-11 head-to-head tally against CSK. It’s down to 4-4 in knockouts/playoffs, while MI have a 2-1 advantage in finals.

– Each of Mumbai Indians’ five final appearances is against a Dhoni side [CSK in 2010, 2013, 2015 and 2019; RPS in 2017].

– CSK have won 12 out of 16 tosses this IPL

The post IPL 2019 Final: CSK, MI fight for title #4 appeared first on Crickex.

The Super Kings, who finished second in the standings, lost to the Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 1 and therefore have to compete in Qualifier 2. The defending champions were the first side to secure a playoff berth, but they’ve haven��t looked all too convincing in the last few matches; after winning 7 of their first 8 matches, CSK only managed two wins in their following seven matches.

What: Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals, Qualifier 2 on May 10, 07:30 PM LOCAL

Where: Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam

What to expect: It’s going to be as hot and humid, and the game is going to be as slow. Now with tactics laid out the table, expect teams to go harder in the powerplay in order to buy themselves some time against the softer ball later. There will be dew again in the night, meaning defending a target will be difficult. The team winning the toss is almost certain to bowl first.

Team news

Chennai Super Kings: From the kind of pitches this season has seen, Super Kings have been quite fortunate. They have another similar pitch waiting, though the turn won’t be as prodigious as at Chepauk. Murali Vijay replaced injured Kedar Jadhav in Qualifier 1 and made run-a-ball 26. He should keep his place.

Probable XI: Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Murali Vijay, MS Dhoni(w/c), Ambati Rayudu, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Deepak Chahar, Imran Tahir

Delhi Capitals: It wasn’t a perfect game for Delhi but they did the job alright. Prithvi Shaw and Rishabh Pant’s innings sandwiched a slow-boiling middle. Colin Munro looked all at sea against spin and could lose his place to Colin Ingram. Trent Boult had another average outing with the ball but do they see Chris Morris as the pace spearhead alongside Ishant Sharma?

Probable XI: Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer(c), Colin Munro/Colin Ingram, Rishabh Pant(w), Sherfane Rutherford, Axar Patel, Keemo Paul, Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma, Trent Boult

Did you know

Super Kings have won 14 out of the 20 matches between the sides.

Both teams have endured a season of two halves. Delhi lost three out of five before going on to win eight of the last 10 games. Super Kings, on the other hand, started by winning seven out of eight games but have lost five of their last seven games.

Shane Watson has five dismissals each against Amit Mishra and Axar Patel.

Super Kings have lost the most wickets (29), have the lowest average (19.38), poorest run rate (6.24) and most frequent balls per dismissal (18.62) in the first six overs this IPL.

Delhi have lost the most wickets (46), have the lowest average (13.09), worst balls per wicket (8.26) and second lowest scoring rate (9.51) in the death overs this IPL.

Super Kings spinners have taken 55 wickets this IPL so far – the most in a season by a team

The post IPL 2019 Qualifier 2: Delhi faces Chennai hurdle on road to maiden final appeared first on Crickex.

What: Delhi Capitals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Eliminator on Wednesday, May 8 at 7:30 PM IST

Where: Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam

What to expect: The track looked delightfully homogeneous and beige on the eve of the match, meaning lesser natural variations off the pitch, but it’s not a guarantee for a high-scoring game. The last game here against Australia, although a last-ball finish, saw scores of 126 and 127. Much like Jasprit Bumrah and Nathan Coulter-Nile in that game, fast bowlers will stick to hard lengths on this pitch. There should be some spin available too. Slow outfield could be a dampener.

There’s a 10% chance of precipitation but the rain is likely to stay away. 86% humidity and 32 degrees temperature expected around match start.

Team news

Delhi Capitals: It’s been two matches since Kagiso Rabada was ruled out of the tournament with a back issue but the loss feels galactic on the eve of an Eliminator. Trent Boult replaced him with his left-arm pace but still has a long way to go to emulate Rabada’s death-bowling heists. Chris Morris, now into South Africa’s World Cup squad, could be in with a shout.

Probable XI: Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Colin Ingram, Sherfane Rutherford, Keemo Paul, Axar Patel, Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma, Trent Boult

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Martin Guptill and Wriddhiman Saha have had all of two matches to try and mimic Jonny Bairstow and David Warner. It’s unrealistic to expect them to fire straightaway, so Kane Williamson’s return to form in the last match (70* off 43 against RCB) and Manish Pandey’s run of good form augurs well.

Basil Thampi bowled full steam in the nets to Kane Williamson on the eve of the match and should retain his place ahead of Sandeep Sharma. Yusuf Pathan replaced Abhishek Sharma in the last league match against Royal Challengers Bangalore but there’s not a lot to choose between the two, partly because Vijay Shankar is the sixth bowling option. It will really come down to whether the leadership group wants youth or experience in a crucial game.

Probable XI: Wriddhiman Saha(w), Martin Guptill, Manish Pandey, Kane Williamson(c), Vijay Shankar, Yusuf Pathan/Abhishek Sharma, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, K Khaleel Ahmed, Basil Thampi

Did you know

– Head to head: Sunrisers have won 9 out the 14 matches between the sides

– Delhi have never won a knockout match in IPL

– Sunrisers won 5 out of 9 matches in IPL 2018 while defending totals. In 2019, they have successfully defended only twice in 7 matches, the scores being 212 and 231

– Barring Amit Mishra (6.33), all other Delhi spinners have conceded over nine in away games – Axar (9.35), Tewatia (9.00) and Lamichhane (9.13)

What they said

“We have to take the confidence from our win against them in Hyderabad. They also beat us in Delhi, so both the teams are fairly confident, and it is going to be a tough match. However, they are also missing some of their players, and we are without Kagiso now, so it is going to be a difficult task as well, but a well-matched encounter” – Shreyas Iyer, Delhi Capitals captain

The post IPL 2019 Match Preview: Eliminator – DC VS SRH appeared first on Crickex.

The MI players must be full of confidence heading into this crucial stage in the competition; three of their last four wins have been by big margins, while the one other win was a thriller which MI clinched in the Super Over.

In the previous match, MI fielded a side which was close to their best side this season. However, they might have to tinker with that combination and will consider bringing in a third spinner to cater to the conditions they will most likely encounter in this match.

The Chennai Super Kings became the first team to book a playoff berth. However, the defending champions have lost a bit of momentum just recently; after winning seven of their first eight matches, the Super Kings have only managed two wins in six matches in the last three weeks.

In their most-recent outing, the Super Kings lost to Kings XI Punjab in Mohali; there was a period in that match where it appeared that KXIP would chase down 171 in 14.2 overs, which would have pushed CSK out of the top two. However, the CSK bowlers tightened the strings to prevent that from happening, though they couldn’t prevent the 6-wicket loss.

The Super Kings have a few glaring deficiencies to address despite ending the league stage second in the table; their openers have posted only one 50-run partnership all season, and the lack of runs from the middle-order batsmen (excluding MS Dhoni) presents a huge concern.

The injury to Kedar Jadhav has added to the team management’s woes; do they disturb the opening combination and bring in Murali Vijay to open the innings, while asking Shane Watson to bat down the order? Or will they give Dhruv Shorey to bat in the middle order?

When: Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians, Qualifier 1, May 7 2019, 7:30 PM IST

Where: M A Chidambaram stadium, Chennai

What to expect: The usual – temperatures soaring past 35 degrees celsius late evening and a pitch playing to perfection for spinners.

Team news

Chennai Super Kings

A shoulder injury in Sunday’s game against KXIP ended Kedar Jadhav’s IPL 2019, and opened up a middle-order vacancy, expected to be filled by Dhruv Shorey. Shorey has filled in for the regulars this season, but predominantly as a substitute fielder. Incidentally, the one fixture he played in, was against Mumbai Indians at Chepauk, as a replacement for an unwell MS Dhoni. With Jadhav not being used as a bowling option all season, CSK can turn to a specialist batsman in Shorey to plug the gap.

CSK might also have a Mitchell Santner dilemma. The New Zealand spinner was one of the few positives from the league stage game against MI at this venue, picking up 2 wickets for 13 runs in his four overs. But deciding on who could make way for Santner will be tricky.

Shane Watson has had three single-digit outings since his 96 against Sunrisers Hyderabad, but replacing him when the team itself is in the midst of ordinary batting performances will be quite a gamble. If they go through with it, they will have to rely on Ambati Rayudu to wiggle his way out of a rut, while also taking up the responsibility of opening the batting.

Probable XI: Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Dhruv Shorey, MS Dhoni, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Deepak Chahar, Imran Tahir

Mumbai Indians

Mitchell McClenaghan impressed at the Wankhede Stadium in his comeback game, but as the action shifts to a sticky, slow Chepauk strip, the New Zealander might have to make way for a spin option – like leggie Mayank Markande (if fit) or left-arm spinner Anukul Roy.

Such a swap would also give Mumbai Indians the luxury to play an additional overseas player – which means they can pick between Ishan Kishan and Evin Lewis to bat at the troubled No.4 position. There’s been very little to choose between the two, as neither has managed to make use of the few chances afforded to them.

Probable XI: Quinton de Kock, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan/Evin Lewis, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Mitchell McClenaghan/Anukul Roy, Rahul Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga

Did you know:

– CSK’s last win over MI at Chepauk came in 2010

– MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina average 51 and 61.50 against MI in seven knockout games. Conversely, Kieron Pollard and Rohit Sharma struggle in the same fixtures- with an average of 36.33 and 16.43 respectively.

-CSK spinners have been devastating at home – picking 30 wickets in 79.2 overs at an average of 15.60, while conceding only at 5.90 runs-an-over.

What they said:

“It is something we know about the IPL that the business end matters, we always come back well in the second half of this tournament. In all the three trophies that we’ve won, the boys have picked themselves up in the business end.” – Rohit Sharma said after a comprehensive win over KKR took MI to top of the table.

“Quite happy with the way we bowled, despite giving a few runs at the start. That’s something you have to keep in mind, if you can’t win a game, you make sure you get the opposition to get the runs in most number of overs. You have to quickly adapt, learn and reassess.” – MS Dhoni said after his team’s defeat to KXIP on Sunday.

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