T20 and close encounters go hand in hand. Almost every season has had close contests that have gone down the live wire. The games have changed at the bat of the eyelids and have had the most unexpected results. The high tension matches have not only kept the audiences glued to the TV sets but even tested the nerves of the players.
Over the years in the IPL, Mumbai Indians have had many close encounters where they have snatched victory from the jaw of defeat and vice versa. These matches have often bagged a special place in our memories regardless of their results. Latestly.com takes you down the memory lane and brings you the matches where the Mumbai Indians have won or lost quite unexpectedly.
Mumbai Indians vs Kings XI Punjab (2008)
The inaugural season of the IPL witness a very close encounter where the Mumbai Indians were on the verge of winning but lost the match by 1 run. So the total posted by the Kings XI Punjab was 188 runs where the Purple Cap winner 2008 Shaun Marsh scored 81 runs. LA Pomersbach remained unbeaten on 79. From team MI Sachin Tendulkar scored 65 runs and got out at the score of 159. MI needed 31 off 3 overs, which was quite possible but the team lost Robin Uthappa and collapsed like a pack of cards. However, Sidharth Chitnis gave them hopes by scoring 15 runs off 6 balls but that too didn’t help and three run outs, costed MI the match. Kings XI won the electrifying contest by 1 run.
Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians (2010)
After putting out a mammoth score of 180 it was sure that team Chennai Super Kings would walk away with the match. But the evening unfolded a different result when Sachin Tendulkar scored 72 runs and Shikhar Dhawan scored 56. However, after Shikhar Dhawan got out, Saurabh Tiwary and R Sathish could not do much. Kieron Pollard’s 20 off 9 balls but he got out when the team was on 159 in 16.4 over. Sachin Tendulkar followed him in the 18th over. It looked as if the match had slipped, but Dwayne Bravo’s 11 off 7 balls saved the match for MI.
Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians (2010)
The Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai witnessed a roller-coaster of a match where Mumbai Indians won the toss and elected to bat. Saurabh Tiwary and Ambati Rayudu scored 53 and 55 respectively. MI posted a massive total of 212. Now, in the second inning, Yusuf Pathan was unstoppable as he went on to hit the ball almost all over the park with Paras Dogra supporting him from the other end. Yusuf Pathan’s 100 off 37 gave the hope to the team. They needed 40 runs off 3 overs. However, in the dramatic turn of events, Pathan got run out. They still had Paras Dogra but Lasith Malinga’s spells helped MI win the match.
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians (2011)
Now, this was another heart-stopper of a match which happened at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Mumbai Indians elected to field and KKR posted a total of 175. Mumbai got off to a good start, however, kept losing wickets. But it was James Franklin and Ambati Rayudu who finished the game in style. The last 6 by Rayudu is something that it still fresh in our memories.
Mumbai Indians vs Rising Pune Supergiants (2017)
Now, who doesn’t remember the final match last year between Mumbai Indians and Rising Pune Supergiants. This final went down the live wire and Mumbai had the last laugh in Hyderabad. Mumbai Indians won the toss and elected to bat. Putting up a minuscule total of 129, the fans thought that it was a cakewalk for the Rising Pune Supergiants to win this one. Ajinkya Rahane’s 44 and Steve Smith’s 51 could not save the RPS and in the end, needed 11 runs off 6 balls, but Mumbai held their nerves and Mitchell Johnson clinched 3 wickets in the last over and they walked away as the champs for IPL 2017.
IPL 2018 will begin on the April 7 where the Mumbai Indians will lock horns with the Chennai Super Kings which has made a comeback in the IPL after a gap of a couple of years. Team MI will be led by Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni will lead CSK. The Yellow Army is already in Mumbai for the game and looks ready for the first contest. The tickets for the mega-event are already on sale.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 05, 2018 04:25 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).