IPL 2019: Final, MI vs CSK - Mumbai Indians Player Ratings

The stage was all set for the all-important ultimate clash of the IPL 2019. Seven weeks of the cricket carnival came to a fitting end with two of IPL’s most consistent sides locking horns in the finals for the bragging rights. The Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings clashed in their respective bids to bag their fourth IPL title. The two sides had previously played against each other thrice this season, and on all the three occasions, the Mumbai Indians had thumped their arch-rivals, CSK.

And on the big day when it mattered the most, the law of averages didn’t catch up either, and the Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians registered a nervy 1-run win to become the champions of the IPL 2019. As has been the story of the season, the final clash was a fitting end to perhaps the most exciting season of the IPL. The match went down to the final ball of the match, and CSK fell short by just one run.

In the match, MI won the toss and opted to bat first. Their openers managed to get a decent start and added 45 runs on the board despite Deepak Chahar bowling a maiden first up. However, once the partnership was broken, the middle-order of the MI team broke loose. The innings slowed down big time, and the Men in Blue needed a flourish to score big at the end. Much against their expectations, they could not get a lot. But Kieron Pollard’s 41 helped MI post 149/8 in their stipulated 20 overs.

In the run chase, CSK also got a good start with their overseas openers adding 33 runs for the first wicket in quick time. The wicket of Faf du Plessis brought about a sudden downfall in the CSK innings. Amidst falling wickets, Shane Watson held the fort at one end to notch up a clinical fifty. Towards the end overs, when the match seemed to be running away, Watson got his team back in the game. However, he failed to see them over the line. With 2 needed off the final ball, Lasith Malinga dismissed Shardul Thakur to seal a 1-run win for Mumbai Indians.

Here are the MI Player Ratings for the match:

Quinton de Kock – 4/10

Quinton de Kock had not been the most consistent batter for MI in the season. He was under some pressure to come good, and he did show positive intent in the match. He dominated the opening wicket stand with Rohit Sharma and hit four sixes during his 17-ball stay at the crease. De Kock finished with 29 to his name. Also, he did not have the best of times with the gloves either and missed a couple of key takes as well.

Rohit Sharma – 3/10

Rohit Sharma’s lacklustre run of form continued in the final match of the season as well. The MI skipper got off to a decent start but could not get going thereafter. He hit a six and a four to get his feet moving, and managed to score 15 runs in the match. With the captaincy hat on, Rohit played some unusual tricks and his decisions will be discussed for quite some time.

Ishan Kishan – 4/10

Young batter Ishan Kishan had the perfect stage set for himself to prove his mettle at the bigger level. He arrived at the crease at a good time when MI were looking to build up an innings. Kishan took his time to get his eye in but looked largely uncomfortable during his stay at the crease. He used up 26 balls to score his 23 runs and ended up getting dismissed in his attempt to slog his way out of sluggishness.

Suryakumar Yadav – 2/10

Leading up to the game, Suryakumar Yadav had played a couple of handy finishing knocks for MI. In this particular game though, Suryakumar Yadav ended up failing to take the game deep. He was cleaned up on 15 by Imran Tahir. Yadav would certainly rue the missed opportunity and hope for a better season next year.

Krunal Pandya – 5/10

Krunal Pandya was introduced into the attack in the power play. He was taken away for 14 runs by Faf du Plessis in his very first over. Pandya had the last laugh though, and he sent Faf packing to give the first breakthrough to the team. Later in the game, he was tonked for four maximums by Shane Watson in his third over. He finished with 1/39 in his quota of 3 overs. Earlier in the game, he had failed to score big with the bat, and could only score 7.

Kieron Pollard – 8/10

Kieron Pollard has been an integral part of the MI camp and yet again, he played the pivotal role in the big finals. Pollard top-scored for his side with a 25-ball 41 in the match with 3 sixes and 3 fours to his name. He reminded the fans of his match-winning knock against the same opposition in the finals of IPL 2013. Pollard’s final flourish in the game helped MI post a decent total on the board.

Hardik Pandya – 4/10

Hardik Pandya did not have the best of games with the bat. The team needed him to hit a few maximums, something that he is renowned to do. Pandya, however, failed to hit more than two boundary shots in the match. He got a let off, but did not make the most out of it, and perished for an eventual score of 16. With the ball, he bowled one over and conceded 3 runs.

Rahul Chahar – 8/10

Towards the end of the match, Rahul Chahar dropped Shane Watson whilst trying to grab a running catch. Much to his relief, the catch did not cost MI the match, and the title. Chahar had a big relief on a day that had largely been amazing for him until the dropped catch. Chahar was the most impressive bowler for the Mumbai Indians and returned with exceptional figures of 1/14 in his quota of four overs. He took the wicket of Suresh Raina.

Mitch McClenaghan – 5/10

Mitch McClenaghan had a good run in the match. The Kiwi speedster ran in hard to bowl some really good bouncers. He got some assistance from the pitch and was happy to contain the CSK top order in his opening spell. He was unlucky to have missed out on picking up any wicket though. He bowled his complete quota of four overs and finished with 0/24 to his name.

Jasprit Bumrah – 9/10

Jasprit Bumrah has only grown in from strengths to strengths this season with every passing game. He brought his A game to the fore on the big night of Finals as well. He was the pick of the bowlers for MI in the match with figures of 2/14 in his four overs. He kept bowling immaculate lines and managed to keep down Shane Watson quiet as well in the end overs. Also, the way he backed up his fielders despite a few layoffs and slips showed his composure at the middle. Bumrah bowled a lovely bouncer to dismiss Ambati Rayudu and took the wicket of Dwayne Bravo as well.

Lasith Malinga – 8/10

Lasith Malinga has been quite impressive this season. Although he has conceded more runs than what the team management would have liked, Malinga has been a proven wicket-taking option. In this game, he had his heart in his mouth when Watson went bonkers against him in his third over. He came back very strong to bowl the final over of the innings and successfully defended 9 runs to win the game for his side. He finished with 1/49 in his four overs. He bowled the most important ball of the season and produced the result for his team.

Get the latest Cricket News and updates from the Indian Premier League, Match Predictions, Fantasy Cricket Tips and lots more on CricTracker.com.