Mumbai Indians once again displayed just why they are the best T20 side in the world as they brushed aside Delhi Capitals with absolute disdain to not only register their 5th IPL title but also become only the second team after Chennai Super Kings to win the back-to-back championships.
Chasing 157, the duo of Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock came to all guns blazing in the powerplay. Rohit Sharma launched Ravichandran Ashwin for a six in the first over before Quinton de Kock laid into Kagiso Rabada to smoke him for 18 in the next.
The duo looked in imperious touch against both pace and spin. Rohit Sharma, especially looked in his elements today and it was testified with the audacious pull off Anrich Norje.
With Mumbai Indians racing to 45 in the first 4 overs, DC desperately needed a wicket and they got that courtesy Marcus Stoinis, who got de Kock caught-behind on his very first delivery.
The onslaught, however, continued as SuryaKumar Yadav announced his arrival with a four and six off Stoinis on his first two deliveries he faced to bring up MI’s 50.
Rohit regained his form when it really mattered and he, along with Yadav, continued to milk the spinners before he laid into Dubey in the 9th over by smoking him for two sixes.
But just it looked like the duo would finish off the game in a canter, a horrible miscommunication between them led to the run-out of SuryaKumar Yadav. By the time, SuryaKumar Yadav could respond, Rohit was already close to him at the non-striker’s end. Yadav could have stood his ground paving the way for Rohit to get run-out, but given the way the latter was batting, he decided to sacrifice himself for the team’s cause.
But it did not really matter as Rohit Sharma en-route to his half-century continued with his merry way while Ishan Kishan once again displayed his talent with some sumptuous strokes. Kishan smoked Dubey for two fours in the 16th over to reduce the equation to just 20 of the last 24 balls.
Rohit was eventually dismissed for 68 thanks to a brilliant diving catch by Lalit Yadav while Kagiso Rabada knocked over Kieron Pollard but it really didn’t matter as Ishan Kishan ensured that he steered Mumbai Indians to an unprecedented 5th IPL title in the 19th over.
Half-centuries from Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant guided Delhi Capitals to 7-156 against Mumbai Indians
Batting first, Delhi Capitals would have hoped for another brilliant start by Marcus Stoinis and Shikhar Dhawan but it took just one ball from Trent Boult to shatter all those hopes. Boult beat Stoinis with the angle and the disconcerting bounce aimed at the body and the latter could only manage an edge that was safely gobbled by Quinton de Kock.
Jasprit Bumrah ensured that the pressure that Boult had put on DC was maintained as he bowled a brilliant second over where he nearly dismissed Dhawan with another brute yorker.
Boult, on the other hand, continued to chip away at the wickets as he strangled Ajinkya Rahane.down the leg-side in his second over.
But the body blow came in the very next over bowled by Jayant Yadav, who cleaned up the in-form Shikhar Dhawan for a 13-ball 15.
Shreyas Iyer [65 off 50 balls] and Rishabh Pant then proceeded to consolidate the innings with brilliant running between the wickets and an occasional boundary.
Pant finally broke the shackles with two sixes off Krunal Pandya in the 10th over to take the total to 3-75.
Iyer and Pant (56 off 38 balls) smashed Kieron Pollard for a six and a four in the 12th over as the duo steadily clawed Delhi Capitals back in the game. The duo brought up the 100-run mark in the 14th over and Pant celebrated that with a paddle-sweep off Krunal Pandya as he neared his maiden IPL 2020 fifty.
The southpaw brought up his 50 with back-to-back boundaries off Nathan Coulter-Nile to become second-youngest to score a half-century in an IPL final. Bur NCN eventually had the last laugh as the southpaw holed out at deep fine-leg in an attempt to pull the fast bowler behind the square.
Shreyas Iyer notched up 500+ runs for the 1st time in his IPL career and in the process, he also brought up his half-century courtesy two boundaries off Bumrah in the 18th over as DC reached 4-136. Mumbai Indians, however, pulled it back brilliantly in the last three overs as they gave away just 20 runs to ensure that Delhi Capitals eventually ended up at 7-156.
Here’s how Twitter reacted-
Mumbai Indians ? Winning IPL
— Shai Hope (@shaidhope) November 10, 2020
Congratulations @mipaltan for winning @IPL for 5th time in #IPL history….. ?? #IPLfinal #MumbaiIndians #IPL2020
— ?????? ???????????? (@IamDimuth) November 10, 2020
Another cracking @IPL The best T20 tournament by far #IPLfinal The Indian fans are something else and next year will even better with crowds / fans back ??#MumbaiIndians @mipaltan class team.
— Ryan Sidebottom ? (@RyanSidebottom) November 10, 2020
Teams finishing top of points table winning the IPL#RR in 2008#MI in 2017#MI in 2019#MI in 2020#IPLfinal #IPL2020 #MIvDC #MumbaiIndians
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) November 10, 2020
Congratulations to the once again champions @mipaltan ?
Can't remember any team winning the @IPL title with such ease.
No doubt, they were the best side this year with some extraordinary performances!#IPLFinal— Vinod Kambli (@vinodkambli349) November 10, 2020
Mumbai Indians' T20 titles
2011 – Champions League
2013 – Indian Premier League
2013 – Champions League
2015 – Indian Premier League
2017 – Indian Premier League
2019 – Indian Premier League
2020 – Indian Premier League#IPL2020#IPL#Dream11IPL#IPLinUAE#MIvDC #MIvsDC#DCvMI— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) November 10, 2020
And that’s 4-0 against what was considered the second-best team this IPL. That sums up Mumbai Indians’ season. #IPL2020final
— Sambit Bal (@sambitbal) November 10, 2020
Mumbai Indians – the second side to win IPL in consecutive years after #CSK in 2010 & 2011
Teams finishing top of points table winning IPL
RR in 2008
MI in 2017
MI in 2019#MI in 2020#IPLfinal #IPL2020— Deepu Narayanan (@deeputalks) November 10, 2020
Teams are chasing @mipaltan … While they continue to chase greatness. 5 titles in 13 seasons! Full team effort from a team full of champions.. Odd-even rule… bhi jao bhool. #MI are just too good, Yet again #IPLfinal
— Jatin Sapru (@jatinsapru) November 10, 2020
Well done @DelhiCapitals For making it to finals. Well played
— Naman Ojha (@namanojha35) November 10, 2020
Great #IPL … The best team in the world won at a canter … Full credit to all players for producing an incredible standard in these testing times … Without question the IPL is the best T20 tournament by a country mile … #India
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) November 10, 2020
For @DelhiCapitals it was a good season you have to say. Made play offs last year, finals this year. Every reason to go higher and higher. @mipaltan just too good. Much like WC 2003. India was good for all teams but Australia. Ponting was leader. Now he has to match MI in 2021.
— Boria Majumdar (@BoriaMajumdar) November 10, 2020
This was the most important IPL of all, as it was about much more than just cricket. More than a billion people finally had something other than a pandemic to think about. Superb job by all. This mattered.
— Joy Bhattacharjya (@joybhattacharj) November 10, 2020
https://twitter.com/hershybru/status/1326212700456804354
https://twitter.com/namanojha35/status/1326212765153849345
I reckon the @mipaltan would Win the T20 World Cup …. #Justsaying #IPL2020final
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) November 10, 2020
Rohit Sharma in IPL:
50th game – 87 vs CSK, Mumbai
100th game – 50 vs CSK, Dubai
150th game – 58 vs RPS, Mumbai
200th game – 52* vs DC, Dubai#IPL2020 #MIvDC #IPL2020Final— Sampath Bandarupalli (@SampathStats) November 10, 2020
Mumbai Indians have broken the IPL – in the best possible way.
Everything's geared up for competitive balance (auctions, salary caps, releasing players) but they've mastered the process & are about to win 3 of 4 years.
They are the best T20 side in the world.#IPL2020 #MIvDC
— Ben Jones (@benjonescricket) November 10, 2020
Only way SKY would get out ! What a player ??#Suryakumaryadav
— Vikram Sathaye (@vikramsathaye) November 10, 2020
Rohit Sharma has played with immaculate control. Just 2% of his shots today have been edged or missed – nobody else can match his control in this final. #IPL2020 #MIvDC
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) November 10, 2020
He is custom-made for big stage. Bigger the game, better he gets! What an innings #pullman Sharma @ImRo45 #ProGyaan #IPLfinal #IPL2020 #MIvsDC
— Pragyan Ojha (@pragyanojha) November 10, 2020
Respect bro ?
Not many would do that which you did @surya_14kumar #IPLfinal #MIvsDC pic.twitter.com/EPzhE5gYCH— MANOJ TIWARY (@tiwarymanoj) November 10, 2020
Win or lose, Marcus Stoinis is this year’s MVP, surely. #IPL2020
— Raunak Kapoor (@RaunakRK) November 10, 2020
Powerplay onslaughts can feel frenetic but MI's start here was calculated aggression. Rohit took Ashwin on (favourable match-up) & protected QDK from the negative match-up, before QDK took Rabada on (favourable match-up). 26 for 0 & +8% win probability in 12 balls. #IPL2020
— Freddie Wilde (@fwildecricket) November 10, 2020
This is a score that gives @DelhiCapitals a fighting chance. And no dew. Good second half awaits
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) November 10, 2020
Multiple players from a team with 500+ runs in a season:
RCB – 2011
CSK – 2013
MI – 2013
RCB – 2013
CSK – 2014
RCB – 2015
RCB – 2016
SRH – 2016
CSK – 2018
DC – 2020#IPL2020 #MIvDC— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) November 10, 2020
First time 3 bowlers have taken 25 or more wickets in an IPL season.
29 Rabada
27 Bumrah
25 Boult#IPL2020 #DCvMI— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) November 10, 2020
Shreyas Iyer's intent was clear from the start but it is Pant whose innings has given Delhi hope for a miracle. #MIvsDC #IPLfinal
— Vimal Kumar/विमल कुमार (@Vimalwa) November 10, 2020
No matter what happens from here on, the Delhi Capitals have shown their character, fighting back after a nightmare start. This is looking to be a classic!
— Joy Bhattacharjya (@joybhattacharj) November 10, 2020
@RishabhPant17 ?????? top knock champ #IPLfinal #DCvMI
— Rahul Sharma (@ImRahulSharma3) November 10, 2020
56 (38) from Rishabh Pant – when he came in, Delhi had a 32% chance of winning this final according to WinViz, and his partnership with Iyer lifted that to 43%. A crucial knock. #IPL2020 #MIvDC #IPLFinal
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) November 10, 2020
What an innings from @RishabhPant17 ??? Let’s see if @DelhiCapitals can finish strong!! #IPLfinal
— Ian Bell (@Ian_Bell) November 10, 2020
Rishabh Pant (23y 37d) is the second youngest to hit a 50 plus score in an IPL Final
The youngest being Manan Vohra (20y 318d) when he hit 67 for #KXIP vs #KKR in Bengaluru in 2014#IPLfinal #IPL2020 #DelhiCapitals #MumbaiIndians #MIvDC #IPL #AbCricketBuzzega
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) November 10, 2020
Pant has come in with a ‘nothing to lose’ approach. Makes him dangerous. #IPLfinal
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) November 10, 2020
Shreyas Iyer has started slowly across this competition, but when he's been there at the end of the innings, he's gone hard. In Overs 16-20 this season, Iyer's scored 63 (33), a scoring rate of 11.5rpo.#IPL2020 #MIvDC #IPLFinal
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) November 10, 2020
Plenty of chatter about whom #DelhiCapitals traded and doing well against them today.
A tip of the hat for them to retain Iyer & Pant ahead of 2018, both of whom were relatively unproven at that point of time in their career. And they are delivering in style today.#IPLfinal— Deepu Narayanan (@deeputalks) November 10, 2020
Rishabh Pant's highest score of #IPL2020
Comes in the #IPL2020final #DCvMI
— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) November 10, 2020
Love watching @RishabhPant17 bat! ?
— Sam Billings (@sambillings) November 10, 2020
Only two captains have scored 50+ in IPL finals batting first – Rohit 50 vs CSK in 2015 and Warner 69 vs RCB in 2016.
Delhi need Shreyas Iyer to become the third tonight! #IPL2020 #IPLFinal #DCvMI
— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) November 10, 2020
Jayant Yadav brought into the @mipaltan XI after only one appearance all tournament, inspired selection! #matchup #MIvDC #IPLfinal
— Tom Moody (@TomMoodyCricket) November 10, 2020
What a brilliant move this is by Rohit Sharma to bring Jayant Yadav a bit of a ‘carrot dangling’ to Shreyas Iyer with his team at 21/2. Gets a bonus Dhawan wicket! #IPLfinal
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) November 10, 2020
They have gold on their jersey. At the moment everything @mipaltan touch is turning to gold.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) November 10, 2020
Sides taking most wickets in first over of innings in #IPL2020:
8 – Mumbai Indians
5 – Rajasthan Royals
3 – Sunrisers Hyderabad
3 – Kings XI Punjab
2 – Chennai Super Kings
2 – Kolkata Knight Riders
1 – R. Challengers Bangalore
1 – Delhi Capitals#MIvsDC #DCvsMI #IPLfinal— Rajneesh Gupta (@rgcricket) November 10, 2020
Excellent tactics from Mumbai. Firstly the call to pick Jayant to target the lefties (probably more specifically Dhawan), then the decision to bowl him fourth over despite the start from Boult & Bumrah. Questionable shot from Dhawan…he's walked straight into the trap. #IPL2020
— Freddie Wilde (@fwildecricket) November 10, 2020
Delhi Capitals have lost 3+ wickets in the first four overs on 11 previous occasions. They have won three of them – including their opening match of this season, against KXIP, which went to a Super Over. #IPL2020 #MIvDC #IPLFInal
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) November 10, 2020
Rahane and Dhawan made a meal out of the bowling while I had dinner. #IPLfinal #MIvDC
— Gaurav Sethi (@BoredCricket) November 10, 2020
Arey! Thought this was IPL final but seeing Test match action. ??#IPLfinal
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) November 10, 2020
One would think there is so much happening with fast bowlers bowling with the new ball,4th over will go to another quick but this guys @ImRo45 is a brilliant captain… #IPLfinal
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) November 10, 2020
Boult, you freak!!!!#MIvsDC #IPLfinal #IPL2020final
— Yash ?? (@im_yash2307) November 10, 2020
This is the first time a wicket has fallen off the first ball of an IPL final.#DCvMI #MIvsDC #IPL2020 #IPLfinal
— Rajneesh Gupta (@rgcricket) November 10, 2020