IPL Rewind – 2015: Mumbai Indians add second trophy to their cabinet
The Mumbai Indians franchise is currently standing head and shoulders above other IPL sides, having clinched the title on four occasions. The Rohit Sharma-led side, after staying away from the trophy in the first six seasons, clinched their maiden title in 2013 and it marked the start of their successful IPL saga. In 2015, MI toppled Chennai Super Kings in the final to add another IPL trophy in their vitrine.
The beginning
With head coach Ricky Ponting and skipper Rohit Sharma at the helm, the ‘Mumbai Paltan’ finished second in the league stage of IPL 2015. Mumbai Indians once again struggled for consistency and the case was no different in the IPL 2015. MI didn’t have an ideal start, losing their opening game against defending champions KKR by seven wickets. They eventually lost five out their first six games.
Qualifying for the playoffs was looking like a distant dream for the Mumbai franchise at that point. However, things started looking a bit positive for Rohit and company after registering victories against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). It was a complete turnaround in the second phase of the tournament as Mumbai’s performance on the field notched up by leaps and bounds.
The addition of pacer Mitchell McClenaghan did wonders for MI. He was also assisted by the likes of Lasith Malinga, Harbhajan Singh and J Suchith. Registering a victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad in their final league stage match, Mumbai clinched the second place in the points table, poised above Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals due to a superior NRR.
Mumbai’s batting force had also evolved during the course of the tournament. On the back of a bolstered squad, MI steamrolled Chennai Super Kings in both the Qualifier and the final to lay their hands on the silverware. In the Qualifier, Lendl Simmons and Parthiv Patel stitched a brilliant 90-run opening stand to steer Mumbai to a challenging total of 187/6.
In response, Chennai Super Kings, after losing wickets at regular intervals, could only amass 162 on the board as Mumbai booked the final berth. Malinga continued his scintillating form as he scalped three wickets to curb CSK’s run flow.
The final
4th time Mumbai Indians have reached #IPL final.
2010- Runner-up (lost to CSK)
2013- Winner (beat CSK)
2015- Winner (beat CSK)#MIvKKR— Rajneesh Gupta (@rgcricket) May 19, 2017
It all boiled down to the final at a jam-packed Eden Gardens. After being put to bat first, half-centuries from Lendl Simmons and Rohit Sharma, coupled with a quick-fire 36 from Kieron Pollard helped Mumbai post 202 runs on the scoreboard. Hunting down 203 in the final was always going to be a daunting task for any side. However, it looked like a dangerous Dwayne Smith might steer CSK’s ship in the final.
But after Smith’s departure in the 12th over, CSK’s batting force splintered to hand over the victory to Mumbai Indians. McClenaghan (3) and Malinga (2) again rose to the occasion with their bowling display. It was the culmination of an impressive IPL 2015 journey, which started on a shaky note, ending as a fairytale. It was an epic journey of success which will be incessantly remembered by every Mumbai Indians fan.
