IPL 2020 final, MI vs DC: Mumbai wins its fifth Indian Premier League title
If last year's one-run win over Chennai Super Kings was an absolute cliffhanger, Rohit's aristocratic 68 off 50 balls made it an anti-climax with Mumbai Indians chasing the target of 157 in 18.4 overs
 "IPL 2020 champions, Mumbai Indians")
Mumbai Indians players with the trophy during the final of season 13 of the Dream 11 Indian Premier League (IPL) between the Mumbai Indians and the Delhi Capitals Photo: Sportzpics for BCCI
A peerless Rohit Sharma led defending champions Mumbai Indians to its fifth IPL title with a one-sided demolition of Delhi Capitals at Dubai International Stadium on Tuesday, closing an immensely successful tournament that had to be played in a controlled environment amid the raging Covid-19 pandemic.
Orange and purple caps holder in 2020 IPL
If last year's one-run win over Chennai Super Kings was an absolute cliffhanger, Rohit's aristocratic 68 off 50 balls made it an anti-climax with Mumbai Indians chasing the target of 157 in 18.4 overs.
Five IPL titles are certain to make Rohit the undisputed 'Numero Uno' player-cum-leader in the IPL Universe.
He has played way better knocks than this in the past and will play a few more special ones in the future.
But he might never play a more significant one considering the little whirlpool of controversy that his "once damaged and now on the mend hamstring" created.
MI's road for 2020 IPL final
The 'Hit-Man' has given an altogether new meaning to what has one known till now about crushing pain barriers.
A hamstring injury can be very painful but the manner in which India's regular white-ball skipper exploded inside the 'Ring of Fire' at the Dubai International Stadium, he was fighting a battle of his own.
The cover drive was about his class, the whiplash behind square was his swagger and the so very familiar "Rohit Sharma pull shot" was an assurance to BCCI president Sourav Ganguly that "All Is Well".
And to prove a point, he fetched those doubles, tap and run singles including a misjudged one that saw Suryakumar Yadav (19) sacrificing his wicket for his skipper and rightly so.
The carrom ball bowled by Ashwin was deposited to point fence with a cracking square cut and the straight six off leg spinner Praveen Dubey was "Boss Man" written all over it.
DC's road to 2020 IPL final
There has never been an edition where a team has looked in a different league compared to seven others.
As Rohit had said earlier, it's not rocket science but investing in pure match-winners that has given Mumbai Indians such a menacing look.
Rome wasn't built in a day and neither a champion outfit that has now won five titles out of the six finals it has played.
If Jasprit Bumrah wreaked havoc in the Qualifier one, Trent Boult (3/30) decided that final was his turn to inflict the damage and he did it with a first ball beauty that Marcus Stoinis will remember for years to come.
Nathan Coulter-Nile looked like a weak-link but got the dangerous Rishabh Pant (56 off 38 balls) at the nick of time to put the brakes.
Rohit's batting only finished what looked inevitable but it was his captaincy that set it up.
Only 45 runs conceded in the last five overs during the DC innings was a game-changer as Shreyas Iyer (65 no off 50 balls) literally struggled during the end overs.
That was the time when save for Bumrah (0/28 in 4 overs), Boult and Coulter-Nile took the pace off the deliveries with slow bouncers and cutters making it difficult to hit.
And the decision to have off-spinner Jayant Yadav replace leg-spinner Rahul Chahar also proved to be a success.
Jayant, a former India player, did what was required. Bowled an off-break inducing an in-form Shikhar Dhawan (15) to go for a hoick against the turn and get bowled.
At 22 for 3, Delhi were going for another capitulation before Iyer and Pant steadied the ship with a 96-run stand that had some great shots in it.
But in the end, it will be a mere footnote on a day that belonged to one and only 'Captain Marvel' Rohit Sharma.
IPL 2020 final: MI vs DC playing 11
Mumbai Indians playing 11: Quinton de Kock(w), Rohit Sharma(c), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Jayant Yadav, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah.
Delhi Capitals playing 11: Marcus Stoinis, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer(c), Shimron Hetmyer, Rishabh Pant(w), Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, Praveen Dubey, Anrich Nortje.
MI vs DC scorecard: Mumbai Indians' innings
| Batsmen | Dismissals | Runs | Balls | Fours | Sixes |
| Rohit Sharma | c (sub)Lalit b Nortje | 68 | 51 | 5 | 4 |
| Quinton de Kock | c Pant b Stoinis | 20 | 12 | 3 | 1 |
| Suryakumar Yadav | run out (Praveen /Pant) | 19 | 20 | 1 | 1 |
| Ishan Kishan | not out | 33 | 19 | 3 | 1 |
| Kieron Pollard | b Rabada | 9 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Hardik Pandya | c Rahane b Nortje | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Krunal Pandya | not out | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: 157-5 in 18.4 Overs | |||||
| Bowlers | Overs | Maiden | Runs | Wickets | |
| R Ashwin | 4 | 0 | 28 | 0 | |
| Kagiso Rabada | 3 | 0 | 32 | 1 | |
| Anrich Nortje | 2.4 | 0 | 25 | 2 | |
| Marcus Stoinis | 2 | 0 | 23 | 1 | |
| Axar Patel | 4 | 0 | 15 | 0 | |
| Praveen Dubey | 3 | 0 | 29 | 0 | |
MI vs DC scorecard: Delhi Capitals' innings
| Batsmen | Dismissals | Runs | Balls | Fours | Sixes |
| Marcus Stoinis | c de Kock b Boult | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Shikhar Dhawan | b Jayant | 15 | 13 | 3 | 0 |
| Ajinkya Rahane | c de Kock b Boult | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Shreyas Iyer | not out | 65 | 50 | 6 | 2 |
| Rishabh Pant | c Hardik b Coulter-Nile | 56 | 38 | 4 | 2 |
| Shimron Hetmyer | c Coulter-Nile b Boult | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Axar Patel | c (sub)Anukul b Coulter-Nile | 9 | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| Kagiso Rabada | run out (Suryakumar /Coulter-Nile) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: 156-7 in 20 Overs | |||||
| Bowlers | Overs | Maiden | Runs | Wickets | |
| Trent Boult | 4 | 0 | 30 | 3 | |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 4 | 0 | 28 | 0 | |
| Jayant Yadav | 4 | 0 | 25 | 1 | |
| Nathan Coulter-Nile | 4 | 0 | 29 | 2 | |
| Krunal Pandya | 3 | 0 | 30 | 0 | |
| Kieron Pollard | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | |
IPL 2020 champions
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Mumbai Indians wins fifth IPL title
MI live score after 18.4 Overs: 157-5
MI live score after 18 Overs: 154-4
Kagiso Rabada [2.0-0-25-0] is back into the attack
MI live score after 17 Overs: 147-3 | MI needs 10 runs in 18 balls
Anrich Nortje [1.0-0-12-0] is back into the attack
Kieron Pollard, right handed bat, comes to the crease
MI live score after 16 Overs: 137-2 | MI needs 20 runs in 24 balls
Praveen Dubey [2.0-0-18-0] is back into the attack
MI live score after 15 Overs: 126-2 | MI needs 31 runs in 30 balls
Marcus Stoinis [1.0-0-13-1] is back into the attack
MI live score after 14 Overs: 116-2
MI live score after 13 Overs: 112-2
Ashwin continues...
MI live score after 12 Overs: 102-2 | Rohit hits FIFTY
Kagiso Rabada [1.0-0-14-0] is back into the attack
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First Published: Nov 10 2020 | 4:15 PM IST
