IPL 2020 final: Rohit Sharma leads Mumbai Indians to fifth title
Rohit Sharma’s 68 off 51 balls made sure Mumbai Indians were always in control while chasing 157 against Delhi Capitals in the IPL 2020 final.
Reigning champions Mumbai Indians defeated Delhi Capitals by 5 wickets in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 final at the Dubai International Stadium to clinch their record-extending fifth IPL title.
Chasing 157 to win, Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma was the star of the show with 68 runs from 51 balls. MI also became only the second team since Chennai Super Kings to successfully defend an IPL title.
Delhi Capitals, who were playing in their first IPL final, won the toss and elected to bat, but got off to a shaky start.
Trent Boult sent back the Delhi Capitals openers early, with Marcus Stoinis returning to the pavilion in the very first ball of the match. The in-form Shikhar Dhawan soon departed as DC stared down the barrel at 22/3.
However, captain Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant came together and started to rebuild.
Rishabh Pant brought up his first half-century of IPL 2020 but departed two balls later, with DC’s score at 118. The 96-run partnership, however, set Delhi Capitals up with a decent platform to accelerate in the final overs.
Shreyas Iyer brought up his own 50 off just 40 balls with a boundary and proceeded to look for the big shots. However, the late flourish never came with MI’s death bowlers keeping it tight in the final three overs, conceding just 20 runs and picking up three wickets.
MI had a target of 157 to chase down to register their fifth IPL title.
Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock looked in a hurry to wrap things up for MI, as both openers started aggressively. Mumbai Indians raced to 45 after four overs as DC’s star bowler Kagiso Rabada was taken for 18 runs in his first over of the match.
Stoinis finally provided DC with the much-needed breakthrough, sending De Kock back in the fifth over. The South African’s departure, though, did little to curb the flow of runs as an in-form Suryakumar Yadav came in and took little time to get going.
The two looked comfortable out in the middle, maintaining well over the required run-rate. Suryakumar Yadav was run out with MI’s score at 90 after a mix-up with Rohit Sharma.
The Mumbai Indians captain, however, continued undeterred and completed his fifty and by the time he departed on 68, his team was comfortably in the driver’s seat.
Ishan Kishan and Krunal Pandya got Mumbai Indians over the finishing line with eight balls remaining and five wickets in hand.
IPL winners list: Champions and final result
IPL 2020: Mumbai Indians beat Delhi Capitals by 5 wickets
IPL 2019: Mumbai Indians beat Chennai Super Kings by 1 run
IPL 2018: Chennai Super Kings beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 8 wickets
IPL 2017: Mumbai Indians beat Rising Pune Supergiant by 1 run
IPL 2016: Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 8 runs
IPL 2015: Mumbai Indians beat Chennai Super Kings by 41 runs
IPL 2014: Kolkata Knight Riders beat Kings XI Punjab by 3 wickets
IPL 2013: Mumbai Indians beat Chennai Super Kings by 23 runs
IPL 2012: Kolkata Knight Riders beat Chennai Super Kings by 5 wickets
IPL 2011: Chennai Super Kings beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 58 runs
IPL 2010: Chennai Super Kings beat Mumbai Indians by 22 runs
IPL 2009: Deccan Chargers beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 6 runs
IPL 2008: Rajasthan Royals beat Chennai Super Kings by 3 wickets
Lead photo: BCCI