Rohit Sharma helped Mumbai Indians to IPL titles in 2017 and 2019 but both those wins came by a margin of one run.
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When Rohit Sharma arrived in the Mumbai Indians camp in 2013, the transformation was stark. With the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Lasith Malinga in the side, Mumbai Indians were the perennial underachievers of the Indian Premier League. They had reached the final in 2010 but they lost to Mumbai Indians. Prior to 2013, Chennai Super Kings, Deccan Chargers, Rajasthan Royals, and Kolkata Knight Riders were the only teams to have won the IPL titles. Chennai Super Kings, the marquee rivals of the Mumbai Indians, had won two titles.
But, the arrival of Rohit Sharma changed the entire landscape of Mumbai Indians. Under his captaincy, Mumbai Indians won the double of the IPL and the Champions League T20 in 2013. Having earlier won the Champions League T20 in 2011, they matched the Chennai Super Kings in one aspect. The fact that they beat Chennai Super Kings in the IPL final was sweet. With that win in 2013, Mumbai Indians now began their path of domination in the IPL. Having beaten Chennai Super Kings in 2013, Mumbai Indians repeated the feat in 2015 and they were level with Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders for most IPL titles.
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But, with Chennai Super Kings banned for two years, Mumbai Indians now had the chance for the ultimate domination. After failing in 2016, Mumbai Indians had a chance in 2017. Chennai Super Kings had been banned, but MS Dhoni was still there. Against Rising Pune Supergiant, Rohit Sharma was up against Dhoni in a different avatar.
The IPL 2017 contest saw Rising Pune Supergiant trail a new territory in the tournament. . Rising Pune Supergiants had a change of captain from MS Dhoni to Steve Smith. After beating Mumbai Indians in the opening encounter, they had lost three consecutive games. But, Rising Pune Supergiants won three consecutive matches to make up lost ground. After losing to Kolkata Knight Riders, Rising Pune Supergiant won four matches on the trot to cement their spot in the top two.
On the other hand, Mumbai Indians had a hot streak after their loss to Rising Pune Supergiant in the first match. They won six consecutive matches. Their streak ended with a narrow three-run loss to Rising Pune Supergiant. After winning three more games, Mumbai Indians sealed their spot in the Qualifier. But, after they lost for the third time to Rising Pune Supergiant by 20 runs, Mumbai Indians reached the final with a win over Kolkata Knight Riders.
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In the final at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians started poorly after opting to bat. They were reduced to 79/7. But, Krunal Pandya played a vital knock of 47 off 38 balls which included three fours and two sixes. In response, Rising Pune Supergiants were on track at 71/1.
But, Mumbai Indians clawed back with some tight bowling as Rahane and Dhoni departed cheaply. The equation boiled down to 11 runs off six balls, with Smith reaching fifty off 49 balls. However, Mitchell Johnson got the wickets of Manoj Tiwary and Smith. Rising Pune Supergiant needed four runs off one ball. Dan Christian was run-out in going for the third as Mumbai Indians staged a dramatic fightback for the ages.
In 2018, Chennai Super Kings made a comeback and they won the title in grand style. During IPL 2019, they started brilliantly with three wins on the trot. But, they lost to Mumbai Indians as their momentum stalled. After winning four consecutive games, they lost four matches. Big wins in their last two games saw them enter the qualifier where they lost to Mumbai Indians again. But, Chennai Super Kings defeated Delhi Capitals to enter the final.
On the other hand, Mumbai Indians had an inconsistent run in the IPL 2019. But, their only consistency was in the results against Chennai Super Kings. The loss to Kolkata Knight Riders was a wake-up call for the Mumbai Indians as they held firm to finish in the top two. But, their victory against Chennai Super Kings secured their spot directly to the final.
The final was held at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, where they had won in 2017 by one run. On a sluggish pitch, Kieron Pollard hit 41 off 25 balls to help Mumbai Indians reach 149/8. After making a great start, Chennai Super Kings lost three wickets for 12 runs. But, Shane Watson held firm for Dhoni’s side. He was dropped by Lasith Malinga when he had not yet reached fifty.
That drop saw momentum swing towards Chennai Super Kings. Watson smashed three consecutive sixes off Krunal Pandya as Chennai Super Kings needed nine runs off the last over. But, Watson was run-out and Chennai Super Kings needed two runs off one ball. Malinga, who was having a bad day in the final, bowled a slow, off-cutter to Shardul Thakur. The ball dipped and Thakur was trapped LBW. In a dramatic way, Mumbai Indians won the title for the fourth time as Rohit Sharma showed his mettle.
