IPL 2017 final was notable not only because the Mumbai Indians (MI) became the first franchise in the history of the tournament to win three titles, but also because it produced one of the closest finishes.
Mumbai had topped the regular season table, ahead of Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS), with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) occupying the other two playoffs spots.
MI actually lost the first Qualifier, by 20 runs to Pune in front of their home fans, in Mumbai. But the format meant that they got another chance in the Second Qualifier, against Kolkata, who had defeated Hyderabad by seven wickets under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern Method after a rain-affected match in Bangalore.
Mumbai advanced to the final after bowling out Kolkata for 107 and reaching the target with four wickets and more than five overs in hand.
The final, in Hyderabad on 21 May, turned out to be a thriller.
In a low-scoring match, Mumbai won the toss and chose to bat, but they lost both openers cheaply. They were struggling at 79/7 at the start of the 15th over. Krunal Pandya then made a 38-ball 47, including two sixes, to drag them to 129/8. The total was not insurmountable.
That was especially so when Ajinkya Rahane (44) and captain Steve Smith (51) had seemed to put Pune into a strong position. At one point they needed 47 from 30 balls.
However, Mumbai’s death bowlers began to strangle Pune, who could only manage one boundary each in the 18th and 19th overs. They needed 11 off the last over.
Mitchell Johnson dismissed Manoj Tiwary off the second ball and then compatriot Smith, and Pune found needed four to win off the last ball.
Johnson bowled to Dan Christian, who whipped it away to deep square leg. Substitute fielder J. Suchith fumbled the return, allowing the batters to run two, but that was not enough. They attempted a desperate third run to try and tie the match, but the ball was almost in wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel’s gloves by that time.
Washington Sundar was run out, and Mumbai claimed another title success.