Mumbai Indians became the first team to qualify for the 2019 Indian Premier League (IPL) final on Tuesday after a comfortable win over defending champions Chennai Super Kings in Qualifier 1. MI restricted CSK to 131 thanks to some brilliant bowling that made runs hard to come by for the reigning champions. Our bowlers performing brilliantly isn’t something new, however, and has been a major part of our success this season as well as the years gone by. After 15 games, our bowlers have combined to take 91 wickets with Jasprit Bumrah leading from the front with 17 scalps. Ahead of the final, let’s look back at some of our best bowling performances this year.

Alzarri Joseph vs SRH

One of the finds of the season, Joseph announced his arrival in the IPL by setting the record of best-ever bowling figures in league history (6 for 12) on his debut for Mumbai. Blessed with express pace and a cool temperament, Joseph was unplayable for the Sunrisers Hyderabad batsmen in the first clash of the season between the two teams. His match-winning spell won us the game by 40 runs, but it was his temperament that really stood out. "I don't really celebrate wickets, I celebrate wins. My aim isn't just to get wickets, but to win the game for my team," Joseph said after the game.

Jasprit Bumrah vs RCB

Our leading wicket-taker this season produced an inspiring spell of quality fast bowling to help us beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 6 runs in the Garden City. At one stage, it looked like the home side would chase down the target with Mr. 360 AB de Villiers at the crease. Bumrah though had other ideas and bowled a sensational penultimate over that saw him pick up a wicket and concede just five runs with RCB’s batsmen looking to attack him. He was rightfully adjudged the Man of the Match after ending with figures of 3 for 20. Shortly after the encounter, Bumrah spoke of the importance of trying not to think too much and focusing on each ball instead. 

Lasith Malinga vs RCB

Another one of our bowlers who made life difficult for the RCB batsmen this year is IPL’s all-time leading wicket-taker, Lasith Malinga. The MI legend was enduring a difficult period at the time as he had to travel back and forth to Sri Lanka to be eligible for the Lions’ World Cup squad. After spending some time out of the playing XI, Malinga got a chance to remind the world of what he’s still capable of against RCB at home. Needless to say, Malinga didn’t disappoint and ended the match as the pick of our bowlers with figures of 4 for 31. His bowling in the death overs was integral to the win after it looked like RCB’s batsmen may cross 200 at one point. In the end, MI comfortably chased down 172 and after the game Malinga himself labelled his display as the best of the season at the time.

Hardik Pandya vs CSK

Our first win of the season over CSK at home saw Hardik produce his best bowling performance so far. The stylish all-rounder had already played his part with the bat courtesy of a quickfire 8-ball 25, which featured a boundary and three sixes. His performance with the ball in the second innings though may have taken a few individuals from the opposition camp by surprise. He ended with figures of 3 for 20 and got the all-important wicket of CSK skipper MS Dhoni. The victory was MI’s 100th IPL win and soon after the game, Hardik explained how it always feels good to help the team get over the finish line and how he’s constantly looking to improve his game.

Rahul Chahar vs DC

One of the revelations of this season, Chahar is fourth on our wicket-taking charts with 12 scalps in IPL 2019. The 19-year-old has established himself as MI’s first-choice spinner this year on the back of solid and consistent outings. Perhaps his best performance of the season came in our clash against Delhi Capitals at the Feroz Shah Kotla. He ended the game with figures of 3 for 19 and dismissed Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan and skipper Shreyas Iyer. Soon after the match ended, skipper Rohit Sharma reserved some special praise for the youngster. He explained how Chahar’s wickets in the middle overs are crucial when it comes to putting the brakes on the run-scoring and how the youngster enjoys bowling against left-handers.