Plot:

It’s our fourth visit to an Indian Premier League (IPL) final! There are teams in the competition who haven’t made it to even one. We are just behind Chennai Super Kings, who have been in 6 finals to date. There’s a record that we can claim if we win this one – Mumbai Indians can become the only team to win the IPL thrice. 2017 has been a great season for us! We roped in a new head coach in Mahela Jayawardene and his tactics have paid off for the team. We bought seven players during the IPL auction, of which Saurabh Tiwary and Mitchell Johnson have returned to our squad. The new boys have gelled well with the team, and every single individual from the 27, who got a chance to play a game contributed to where we are right now in one way or the other.

We met Rising Pune Supergiant, our opponent in the final, for our first game of the season. It was a contest that went on till the final over, but they got over the line. We then went on a streak of wins and ended up with 9 wins out of our 11 games, thus sealing a berth in the Playoffs comfortably. We did face a few hiccups in the final few games, but we topped the table after beating Kolkata Knight Riders in our final league game.

Having made it to the first Qualifier, we met Rising Pune Supergiant once again, for the third time this season. Barring the final two overs of the first innings, we bowled accurately and didn’t concede much, but fell to MS Dhoni’s masterclass. The momentum was lost and the game, too. However, the past has been buried and we meet the same opponent again. This time there’s a difference – we face them in a final. Many of our boys have the experience of being in an IPL final in the past, but MS Dhoni is the only member from their regular playing lot who has featured actively in the final.

We tied down the RPS batsmen in our previous encounter against them, but what we couldn’t do was pick up wickets at regular intervals. On the other hand, our batsmen could have done well with some application at the crease. We covered both these areas in our second Qualifier against Kolkata, which we won quite comfortably in the end. We need to press the repeat button and follow suit in Hyderabad. They don’t have Stokes and Tahir, but proved that they are still a force to reckon. Their domestic bowlers have stood up for them, the way ours have for us. It will all boil down to who can handle the pressure of a final better and which team will play more sensibly on the day.

Stage:

Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad:

In our away game here, our batsmen struggled with the lack of pace in the wicket. Rohit mentioned getting accustomed to the conditions will be the key at this venue. The pitch may be a bit two-paced once again. The team that bats well, with application could have the upper hand in the contest. The boundaries here are longer than on most grounds in the country. Mishits may not clear the fence all the time.

Acts:

Jasprit Bumrah vs MS Dhoni:

Bumrah dismissed Dhoni in our home game against RPS, but the former Indian skipper got the better of ‘Boom’ at the same venue durIng the first Qualifier. However, after Bumrah was hit for those sixes, he made a comeback of sorts with a couple of fabulous yorkers which Dhoni couldn’t convert into anything meaningful. Perhaps Bumrah can resort to bowling them and his slower ones the moment he gets his chance to bowl at MS.

Karn Sharma vs Ajinkya Rahane:

Karn has responded well to his captain’s requirement of bowling him inside the Powerplay. Against KKR, he got rid of some dangerous batsmen. Karn even sent the dangerous Rahane – who had scored a half-century against us during the first Qualifier – back to the dugout. Rahane has played our seamers quite well this season, and we could unleash Karn on him sooner than we did in the last game.

Rohit Sharma vs Washington Sundar:

Rohit Sharma will probably recall the way he had been adjudged out against Washington Sundar at the Wankhede. He looked to be aggressive against the young off-spinner and attempted a sweep. There was an inside edge before the ball went on to hit his pad, but the umpire missed it. Rohit has been in good form and will look to play with composure on a pitch that could be conducive to turn.

Milestones:

⦁    We are the only team to have lost the first Qualifier and won the IPL in the past.
⦁    If we win, we will become the first team to hold 3 IPL titles.
⦁    Rohit Sharma has a chance to win his fourth IPL final – a record only he could be a custodian of.
⦁    Kieron Pollard in the three IPL finals: Scores – 27, 60 & 36 | SR – 205 | AVG – 61.50