Mumbai Indians lifted their second Indian Premier League title after beating Chennai Super Kings by 41 runs. Batting first, Mumbai pummeled the Chennai bowling to mount a massive 202/5. Captain Rohit Sharma and Lendl Simmons took the Chennai bowlers to the cleaners and the finishing touch was provided by Ambati Rayudu and Kieron Pollard.
Chennai won the toss and from thereon, lost everything. They looked jaded and chasing a massive target was never in the game. The Mumbai bowlers kept a lid on their batsmen and even the likes of Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni struggled with the bat.
Catch all the highlights of the game here
(All times is IST)
23:45: That's it! MUMBAI HAVE WON THE 2015 IPL! Chennai have gone down by a huge margin here. Mumbai had turned it around in fascinating style! No one gave them a chance when they lost their first four games but that's when the star studded back-room stuff came into being - Ponting, Tendulkar, Rhodes, Bond, Kumble - these guys know how to wade through tough times and Mumbai Indians are the IPL 2015 champions!
23:38: OUT! Ashwin now falls to McClenaghan. Really didn't have an option. This is all Mumbai at the Eden Gardens. They have dominated the game and have never looked second best.
23:33: OUT! And another one - too easy for Malinga. Negi had no idea about that slower one. Scoops it to Pandya as the celebrations begin.
23:28: OUT! Chennai collapsing now! Du Plessis (1) taken brilliantly at covers by Rohit. CSK 125/6 (16.2 overs).
23:25: BOWLED! Surely it's all over for Chennai now. MS Dhoni (18) has been uprooted by Malinga. Dhoni goes for the heave, misses the yorker, hits his pads and deflects on to the stumps. Surely, the last nail in Chennai's coffin this! Even Tendulkar knows it, he's happy as a punch!
23:20: SIX! Humungous shot from MS Dhoni - clears his front leg and sends Malinga into the dressing room. Wow! That was massive!
23:17: FOUR! Dhoni pulls and pulls it hard past square leg. He needs to pull off a miracle if Chennai have to get anywhere near the Mumbai score.
23:16: OUT! Nope, McClenaghan does it! Bravo (9) finds Simmons at third man. This is going awry for the Super Kings. CSK need 95 runs from 32 balls.
23:14: SIX! McClenaghan comes back and Bravo whacks it over his head. Can Chennai still mount a comeback here?
23:10: STUMPED! Raina (28) fails to go past 400 runs in IPL for the first time. Completely outfoxed by Harbhajan - dances down the track, misses and Parthiv does the rest! CSK need 104 from 39 balls.
23:05: Mumbai have done this brilliantly here - no let ups for the Chennai batsmen. Bowling Pandya has also been a good move by Rohit Sharma, the youngster has kept things tight and the required rate has crept past 15-an over. Dhoni-Raina at the crease but this is even a bit to ask from these two outstanding hitters. Super Kings need 105 runs from 42 balls.
22:30: Suresh Raina has joined Smith in the middle. He has had a quiet tournament by his standards. Will he step up to the plate tonight? The wicket is slowing up and it looks a tough chase but then again, Raina revels in a big match, almost always.
22:26: FOUR! Smith chancing his arm now. Takes on Vinay Kumar, gets an outside edge and it flies to point boundary.
22:22: Did that carry? Hussey drives it to covers and Pandya is claiming the catch but did that bounce before? The zoomer is on - it might be out now. OUT! That did go in hand. Good work from Suchith there!
22:18: FOUR! Finally Hussey gets on in the middle. Just over the covers fielder. And okay, here' some news from another superstar Aussie.
22:13: Another superb over from Malinga - keeping Smith and Hussey in check. CSK 14/0 after 3 overs.
22:07: SIX! Three dot balls from McClenaghan and Smith swings hard the the fourth one, takes a top edge and flies over the keeper. This is a solid start from Malinga and McClenaghan - good line and the Super Kings batsmen look under some pressure.
22:03: FOUR! Smith leans into the ball and creams the ball through the covers.
22:00: Yorker to start with! Malinga right on the money to start off the chase.
20:58: BOWLED! Dwayne Smith comes on and yorks Simmons (68). First ball off the tournament for the DR. and MS Dhoni has done it again with a brilliant move!
20:56: FIFTY for Rohit Sharma and OUT! Short from Bravo - Rohit pulls and finds Jadeja at wide long-on. MI 120/2 after 12 overs.
20:53: FOUR! Timed brilliantly by Rohit Sharma, Bravo comes on and is treated with disdain. This man is an absolute treat to watch.
20:50: FOUR! In the gap again - Chennai are bleeding runs.
20:48: That's a good effort from Negi at the boundary. This partnership is taking the game away, that too very quickly. Dhoni needs his bowlers to stand up and get a wicket here. At this rate, Mumbai are looking set for a total close to 200.
20:44: FIFTY for Simmons - his sixth of the season and ninth overall. Gets a leading edge and a stunning effort from Negi, just couldn't hold on to it. Mumbai are giving it everything, throwing some serious punches at Chennai and guess what, the men in yellow look a touch flustered. MI 98/1 after 10 overs.
20:19: SIX! Full toss and banged over Ashwin's head. The Mumbai Indians look in severe mood tonight. 40/1 after 4 overs.
20:17: FOUR! Welcome to the crease Ashwin - Lendl Simmons sweeps and splits the field on the on side.
20:15: FOUR more! Absolute class stroke from Rohit, through the covers. The Mumbai captain has come out with a tremendous attacking intent and he's taking Chennai apart. MI 28/1 after 3 overs.
20:14: FOUR! That's wasn't too short from Nehra but Rohit jabs it over mid-wicket. The fielder was close but not close enough!
20:12: FOUR! 16 runs from the over - Rohit Sharma cuts and cuts smoothly to the point boundary.
20:11: FOUR! Short and wide again - Rohit opens the face and glides it past second slip.
20:10: SIX! Short and wide and Rohit Sharma upper cuts Mohit Sharma over third-man.
20:05: RUN OUT! Stunning, marvellous, sensational - how do you describe that! Faf du Plessis dives and back flicks the ball on to the non-striker's end to catch Parthiv Patel short of the crease! What a start! MI 1/1 after 1st over.
Chennai Super Kings - W, L, W, L, W
Mumbai Indians - W, W, W, L, W
Mumbai Indians would be happy to take on a team that's not been entirely convincing this season. Chennai have been dodgy - their batting has let them down on multiple occasions and their bowling hasn't looked threatening.
Yet, they topped the IPL table and now, have reached the final. That's the thing with Dhoni's teams - they are resilient and they know how to win.
Chennai Super Kings eye a record third IPL win. They have been the only team who has made it to every Play-off over the last eight seasons. This season too, the team has wade through amidst controversies and kept their chins up and performed admirably.
However, if admiration was a yardstick, Mumbai Indians would be topping the charts. They lost four games to start their campaign and then turned it around completely. There were talks about their much hyped star-studded backroom staff failing to inspire the side but the charisma of Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Shane Bond and Jonty Rhodes finally shone through and took Mumbai straight to the final.
It's form vs resilience tonight. Will Mumbai continue their surge? Or will the men in canary yellow land the knock-out punch on the biggest stage?