Mumbai Indians bagged their second IPL crown beating Chennai Super Kings by 41 runs in the eighth Indian Premier League (IPL) final at a packed Eden Gardens here on Sunday. Displaying an awesome batting performance, Mumbai Indians posted a daunting 202/5. In reply, CSK’s fight ended at 161 at the loss of eight wickets. Only Smith (57) and Raina (28) showed some fighting spirit. Put in to bat, the Mumbai Indians built their innings around two partnerships, as they set an asking rate of 10.15 for Chennai on a flat strip. A rollicking 119-run second-wicket stand between opener Lendl Simmons (68; 45b, 8×4, 3×6) and skipper Rohit Sharma (50; 26b, 4×6, 6×2) took the team to a position of solidity after the loss of opener Parthiv Patel in the opening over itself. Kieron Pollard (36; 18b, 2×4, 3×6) and Ambati Rayudu (36; 24b, 3×6) then forged a 71-run partnership for the fourth wicket off only 40 balls to pile on the Chennai Super Kings bowlers’ misery. Caribbean Simmons, who has batted with his characteristic flamboyance through the tournament, opened up in the fourth over, picking up a four and six off Ravichandran Ashwin. A dozen came off the over. Next he took on Ravindra Jadeja in the sixth over, plundering 14 runs. Simmons reached his half-century with a somewhat lucky shot, an edge, as Pawan Negi only managed to get his hands to the leather before it slipped out. The batsmen ran two, and Mumbai were 98/1 at the halfway stage. The hundred came in 10.1 overs with Simmons disdainfully dispatching Jadeja to the boundary. Rohit, who has always found Eden a happy hunting ground, went on the offensive from the word go, smacking Mohit Sharma for 16 runs in the second over, before unleashing some exquisite strokes during his stay in the middle. Dwayne Bravo finally broke the partnership by foxing Rohit with a slower ball. Mumbai were 120/3 in 12 overs. Simmons returned in the very next delivery, yorked by Dwayne Smith. Trinidadian Pollard and Rayudu then came together and beat the bowlers to pulp on the foundation laid by Simmons and Rohit. Pollard belted Nehra for 23 runs in the 17th over, that included three sixes and one boundary. The match saw action in the very first over sent down by Ashish Nehra. Jolting the Mumbai Indians, diminutive open Parthiv Patel went back without bothering the scorer, victim of an outlandish fielding by Faf du Plessis. The batsman went for a flick, but failed to execute it properly, and set off for a run as Plessis closed in on the ball at mid on. However, the South African displayed razor-sharp reflexes, as he dived, lost his balance, but still in one action managed to unsettle the bails. For Chennai, Dwayne Bravo (2 for 36) was the most successful bowler.
