The Mumbai Indians will take on the Rising Pune Supergiant in the final of the 2017 Indian Premier League. This game will be played at the Rajiv Gandhi Cricket Stadium in Deccan, Hyderabad. Follow all the IPL 2017 Final action from 12:30am (AEST) right here on The Roar.
It’s easy to say that these are the two best teams who have made it to the final of the competition this year.
» Match report: Mumbai claim third IPL title thanks to Mitchell Johnson
Mumbai had topped the points table with 20 points while Pune were second to them after the league stage of the competition with 18.
The duo clashed in the first Qualifier and Pune put it across Mumbai to make the final before the Indians knocked out the Kolkata Knight Riders in the second Qualifier to join the Rising Supergiant.
The two teams will meet for the fourth time in this year’s IPL. Pune have won all three previous outings, a statistic that will bother Mumbai Indians no end given they have dished out good showings after good showing this season.
Particularly at home, Mumbai Indians played eight games this season and the Kings XI Punjab were the only team to beat them at Wankhede Stadium apart from the Rising Pune Supergiant. Pune swatted away the Mumbai Indians twice in their own backyard, something that will continue to remain their scourge.
Unless, obviously, they can avenge those defeats with a win in the big one here.
The Mumbai Indians haven’t dependent on any one of their players for their victories. At different times in the tournament, different players have put their hand up and delivered them for the Indians.
This is evidenced in the batting and bowling statistics for the season as well. Till before the start of the playoffs, Mumbai Indians had no player in the list of top 10 run-getters in the tournament and just one in the corresponding bowling list.
Even now, despite having made the final and played the most number of games in the competition, only Parthiv Patel’s 391 runs makes the top run-scorers’ table.
In many ways, Pune have been the surprise package of the competition. Their auction looked like it was headed towards a disaster when they spent a chunk of their budget on one player, Ben Stokes and then saw the English all-rounder not have the greatest start in the competition.
There were some internal issues between those associated with the owner and former Pune captain MS Dhoni – well, at least that’s what could be inferred from the social media dealings – and there were a few early losses that seemed to have pushed the side down the rankings.
Then Dhoni played a blinder to help put it across Hyderabad, Stokes came into his own with a century and a couple of man-of-the-match awards for his all-round showing and Jaidev Unadkat sprung up to show his worth and catapulted to the second spot in the top wicket-takers’ table.
And with Pune struggling to get anywhere close to a match-winning total in their previous game, the first Qualifier, against the Mumbai Indians, Dhoni exploded into a six-hitting spree that left the opposition stunned and his own fans bedazzled yet again.
The two now meet again for the grand prize and it would be foolhardy to make any predictions. Mumbai are a better side on paper in the absence of Stokes and Imran Tahir but Pune hold the psychological advantage with those three victories.
If the pitch is a flat one, something that hasn’t been on offer in the playoffs so far, then the team batting second could have an advantage. On the other hand, a slower pitch without a dewy evening could help the team batting first. Take your pick!
Follow all the IPL 2017 Final action from 12:30am (AEST) right here on The Roar.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Well, that's it from me, good game to end the IPL. Hope to be back soon with some more cricket...with the Champions Trophy coming up next. Have a good evening/night/day. Ciao.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Oh dear, what a final. Mumbai's 129 v Pune's 128. That last ball, should have been a third. Sundar did not take the kind of start he should have I think and that's where he might have missed out. An excellent concerted effort from the Mumbai Indians bowlers. Wickets for both Bumrah and Johnson but excellent stuff from Malina and Karn as well. Way to go.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Oh come on, oh come on, oh come on! What have you done? They needed four to win, flicked it to the leg-side and gets two with so much ease but for some reason the third run never came. They almost thought twice before going for it and there's a run-out! Mumbai Indians have won by 1 run.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Dropped! Christian has been dropped by the mid-wicket fielder, Hardik Pandya. Flicked to the leg-side and a diving Pandya has it thumping into his palm. Should have taken it. Two more. Four needed off the last ball.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
What a ball. Yorker length and Sundar has missed it. Johnson has missed his hat-trick. But Christian has not missed going for a bye. Six needed from two.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Gone! Johnson has Smith... ...that was a good shot. Very good shot in fact. Smith is befuddled how did that happen. Only fielder outside the 30 yard circle, on the off-side and Smith has found him to perfection. Looked like it was going the distance before he got caught. Johnson has Smith. Seven needed off three.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Gone! Second ball, wicket, Tiwary goes but Smith's back on strike. Wow. Was a slower one again, back of a length and Tiwary has hit it to the long-on fielder. Caught by Pollard. But Smith has the strike. Seven needed from four.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Bad first ball, length, slower and Tiwary has easily hoicked it over the leg-side for a four. Seven needed from five.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
So here we go then, who will bowl the final over? Mitchell Johnson? Hardik Pandya? Someone else? It is Johnson. Tiwary on strike.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Shot! Six! What a time to hit a maximum... ...and that was a length ball. Smith was waiting on it, smacks it right back at the bowler but over him for a maximum. Two off the next ball makes it a fifty for Smith but he loses his strike. He was looking for a no-ball there. 11 needed off six. Gone right down then.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Another in-swinging yorker and Tiwary gets hit on his pad. Just a leg-bye. 19 off eight.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
This is excellent bowling. Jasprit has sent down another yorker and Smith can only dig it out to deep mid-wicket. Just one. 20 off nine.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Bumrah to bowl the 19th and he starts off with a full-toss... ...ooh, he has been smacked but doesn't come off the middle of the bat. Falls just short of the deep mid-wicket fielder. 22 off 11 needed.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Oooh, shot, Smith has finally earned himself a four. Much, much needed... ...yorker attempted, and he walks towards the off-stump, flicks it to the leg-side for a four. Good shot. Single off the final ball to retain strike. 23 needed from 12.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
A single off the third to mid-on for Tiwary. Smith needs a big shot here, another reverse-sweep like stroke... ...but this is Malinga we are talking about. And he dishes out a yorker. Doesn't get any bat on it. 28 needed off 14.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Good first ball from Malinga and Smith was giving himself room, manages to get some bat. Dot. Yorker second ball and Smith digs it to long-on for one. 29 off 16.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Lasith Malinga takes up the 18th over. He has had a good night today. So far.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Huge appeal for lbw and S Ravi has given it not-out. That looked very close. Might have escaped because of the impact, else that looked very, very close. Tiwary survives. Next ball, again, an appeal but that's more straightforward. 3/100 in 17. 30 needed off 18.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Gone! MSD has nicked it to the keeper... ...that's a good length ball, outside the off and he wanted to play that cut again. Hurried and edges it to the keeper. Big wicket at this time. Three down.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Japrit Bumrah takes up the attack for his third. He could well bowl the 19th too. Single off the first, takes it down to 32 needed off 23.