Dubai: The epic clash between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings in the final of the Indian Premier League’s eighth edition on Sunday at Eden Gardens will, in effect, decide which is the best Twenty20 squad in the world. The IPL is now hailed as the best and the world’s most popular Twenty20 league and hence, being the champions of this tournament makes for a very special achievement indeed.
The best two teams have always contested in the IPL final and this time too it is no different as Mumbai and Chennai have played like champions throughout the event and their players promptly lifted their game towards the last stages.
It will be down to who can come up with one last push, giving their best and defying all odds, when it comes to deciding the winner today. Michael Hussey, by emerging as the hero of Chennai’s impressive victory in the second qualifier over star-studded Royal Challengers Bangalore on Friday proved that age is just a number if one is determined to steer his team to victory.
This edition’s intense battles have further enhanced IPL’s popularity. Whether the event is held in South Africa or UAE, this league has always been the darling of the millions of cricket fans.
To emerge as the finalists of this league isn’t easy. A look at Chennai’s road to the final will reveal that the squad gained in strength with every match. In their first match, they highlighted the value of battling for every run by recording a one-run win over Delhi Daredevils. The team’s defining quality has been their readiness to fight tooth and nail.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, their inspiring leader and one of the respected captains of the game, ensured that all his players played and fought hard. The two-run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in Chennai on April 28 was another instance of the team’s ability to fight hard under ‘Captain Cool’ Dhoni. Even in the second qualifier on Friday against Bangalore, Dhoni stayed at the wicket to level the scores and make sure that his team reached the final.
Mumbai players too have shown the same fighting spirit that has been the hallmark of Chennai. If it is Hussey who defied his age to produce his best for Chennai, Harbhajan Singh has done the same for Mumbai. Ignored by Indian team selectors for nearly two years, it is the tenacity displayed by Harbhajan in the IPL that has convinced them up to recall him into the Indian squad.
Though Mumbai do not have an experienced leader like Dhoni, with young Rohit Sharma leading the side, their think-tank in the dugout is simply the best that any team can have with Sachin Tendulkar as icon, chief mentor Anil Kumble , head coach Ricky Ponting, bowling coach Shane Bond and fielding coach Jonty Rhodes.
Carrying out instructions from these superb cricketing brains are players like Kieron Pollard, who scored an unbeaten match-winning 60 in the 2013 IPL final against Chennai. The West Indian is in supreme touch once again as he showed by scoring 41 against Chennai in the first qualifier on May 19. With opener Lendl Simmons and Parthiv Patil providing superb starts, Chennai will have to make sure they bowl as brilliantly against Mumbai as they did against Bangalore on Friday.
The final will also be a battle between Harbahajan and Ravichandran Ashwin of Chennai to prove who is the best off-spinner in India. It will be equally exciting to see if Mumbai’s Sri Lankan tearaway Lasith Malinga channels the same aggression he displayed in earlier editions of the tournament and can come up with his toe-crushing yorkers. Chennai’s Ashish Nehra regaining his form and bowling at his best along with Dwayne Bravo undoubtedly makes for a deadly pair.
The very fact that Chennai have reached their sixth final in eight editions proves that they are masters of this format. Though past history has no relevance in the Twenty20 format, with players having to deliver on that particular day, the experience of handling the pressure of a final will be handy.
Mumbai Indians, through their consistent show in this edition, undoubtedly make for worthy finalists. A hotly-contested title match will be an apt ending to this 47-day extravaganza.
