IPL: Four of Rohit Sharma’s greatest moments in the tournament

3. Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings (IPL Final 2015): 50 (26)

Aiming to win the prestigious trophy for the second time, Rohit’s Mumbai Indians arrived at the famed Eden Gardens in Kolkata with furious momentum by their side. Having won only one of their first six matches in the 2015 edition, MI reached the final after winning eight of their last nine matches. The last of those wins had come against CSK in the playoffs. Having won both their previous titles batting first, MS Dhoni unexpectedly called MI into bat. And the Mumbai-based side never looked back.

Rohit Sharma and Lendl Simmons unleashed all hell on Chennai, ensuring that the toss was the last thing CSK won in the final. Starting the riot was Hitman himself, plundering 16 off the second over of the innings, bowled by Mohit Sharma. At the end of the powerplay, MI were 61 for the loss of one wicket, Parthiv Patel. Rohit blazed to his first-ever half-century in an IPL final, in his third attempt, reaching 50 off just 25 balls.

He was eventually dismissed in the 12th over, but by then, he along with Simmons had broken the fight in CSK. Late fireworks by Kieron Pollard and Ambati Rayadu ensured that the momentum provided by their captain did not go in vain, and MI breached 200 in the all-important clash.

Chennai Super Kings, chasing a gargantuan total, were never really in the chase and lost rather tamely by 41 runs in the end. Rohit extended his final-winning run in the IPL to three (once with Deccan Chargers in 2009) and proved beyond doubt that his maiden IPL title as captain in 2013 was not a fluke. To date, MI’s resurrection from the dead to lifting the trophy in 2015 remains one of IPL’s greatest folklores.