Mumbai edge RPS in a dramatic IPL final to complete hat-trick
Mitchell Johnson took two wickets in the final over as Mumbai Indians beat Rising Pune Supergiant by one run in a dramatic Indian Premier League final to claim a record third title in Hyderabad.
Krunal Pandya top scored with a 38-ball 47 for a Mumbai side that could only post 129-8 after Jaydev Unadkat (2-19) set the tone with two wickets in an over in the Maharashtra derby.
Ajinkya Rahane made 44 after being dropped on 14 and captain Steve Smith (51) looked set to get Pune home for a first IPL crown at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, but Mumbai edged it to regain the trophy.
Pune only needed 11 off the last over, but Johnson (3-26) dismissed Manoj Tiwary and Smith after the first ball went for four, while Jasprit Bumrah (2-26) and Lasith Malinga also played key roles as Mumbai snatched it.
Mumbai were beaten by Pune in the first qualifier, but the Indians delivered when it mattered most to pick up the INR 15 Crore in prize money and become the first side to win the IPL three times.
CHAMPIONSSS!!!! WE DID IT!!!! #BELI3VE#CricketMeriJaan #IPLfinal pic.twitter.com/t9r5LK2gCW
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) May 21, 2017
Unadkat got Pune off to a dream start, dismissing Parthiv Patel (4) and taking a magnificent low catch off his own bowling when Lendl Simmons (3) misjudged one that stuck in the pitch three balls later in a magnificent third over that went for only two runs.
Mumbai were 8-2 when Rohit Sharma (24) arrived at the crease, but the India batsman injected some much-needed impetus by taking 16 off an over from Lockie Ferguson before Smith ran Ambati Rayudu (12) out with a superb direct hit.
Rohit was also on his way when Shardul Thakur took a magnificent catch in the deep to give Adam Zampa (2-32) a first wicket, who tossed one up for Kieron Pollard to hit his first ball into the stands.
Krunal produced some much-needed late fireworks, hitting two sixes before he was out from the last ball of the innings from Dan Christian (2-34).
Rahul Tripathi (3) was given out leg before when the ball was going over the top of the stumps and Krunal gave Rahane a life by putting down a simple catch off Malinga.
Rahane took the role of aggressor with Smith biding his time on a tricky surface, but Pollard dived forward to catch the opener off the bowling of Johnson to leave Pune on 71-2 in the 12th over.
The brilliant Bumrah saw the back of MS Dhoni (10) after Smith executed the switch hit expertly to hit Krunal for six in the same over and Pune were left needing 33 from four overs.
Smith lifted Bumrah for six over long-off in the penultimate over and ensure 11 runs were needed to win off the last over, but Tiwary and the Australia captain were caught in the deep and Christian could only take two off the final ball from Johnson with four needed to win.
