MI pull off a 1 run heist over nemesis Pune in IPL 2017 finals
All throughout this year’s IPL Rising Pune Super Giants had the upper hand over Mumbai Indians defeating them on 3 occasions so it came as no surprise when all the cricket pundits were backing the Steve Smith led team to defeat Mumbai in Sunday’s final. But Mumbai Indian’s had the last laugh as they defeated Rising Pune Super Giants by 1 run in a pulsating encounter.
Mumbai Indians created history by becoming the first team to win the IPL for a record three times, when they beat Rising Pune Supergiant, the team they had lost to thrice earlier in the tournament, by one run in the final in Hyderabad on Sunday night.
MI defended a modest 130-run target on the back of a magnificent bowling effort from Mitchell Johnson who, playing his fifth game of the season, successfully defended 11 off the last over and finished with 3/26 to outshine an equally impressive knock from Steve Smith (51). This is also the first time since 2008 that a team finishing first in the Points Table has lifted the trophy.
With 11 needed in the last over, seamer Mithcell Johnson used all his experienced to not let the match get out of hand. After getting hit for a boundary on the first ball by Tiwary, Jonshon got back to get back-to-back wickets of Tiwary and Smith. With seven required he cramped Daniel Christian for any room, letting out just five runs in the next three and gave skipper Rohit Sharma his third IPL title as captain of Mumbai Indians.
Earlier, Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma would not have expected that the decision to bat first on a flat-looking track would back fire big time. The two-time champions produce their worst performance of the season with the bat that too in a big game after impressing in the league phase. They managed to score just 129 for eight in 20 overs.
