What Experts said as Mumbai decimates Capitals in an one sided affair

There has never been a finale of the Indian Premier League being as one-sided as this one. Mumbai Indians, performing according to their reputation this season chased down a total of 156 with much ease.

Earlier after losing the toss and being forced to field first in Dubai, Mumbai took control of the game with Trent Boult and Jayant Yadav bowling brilliant line and length. Boult weaved his magic in this game too and removed in-form Stoinis in the first over and Rahane in his second. From 22/3 a partnership was indeed built by skipper Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant but was broken as and when it needed to accelerate.  As a result, the Capitals could only make 156/7 in 20 overs, which was never enough to stop the Mumbai juggernaut.

Captains’ Viewpoint

Reacting to the fifth title under his leadership that Mumbai won, Rohit Sharma said that he was really happy with how his team performed throughout the season. “We said at the start that we need the winning habit. We couldn't have asked for anything more, right on the money from ball 1 and we never looked back,” the captain said.

Crediting the support staff for the work put in by them in building a world-class team. “I think a lot of credit goes to the people who worked behind the scenes - often they go unnoticed,” said Rohit.

Talking about the preparation for the season, Rohit said that the team had started working long before the IPL started. “We wanted to make sure we filled the gaps in previous seasons. I had to find the balance to get the best out of them. I'm not someone who can run behind them with a stick, and it's important to instil confidence in the players,” he said.

Praising the three all-rounders in the team, the 33-year-old said, “Krunal, Hardik, and Pollard have done their job for a long time, they know their roles.”

He also was aware of how a young player like Rahul Chahar might feel on being left out of the all-important finale after having done so much for the team. “Rahul missed out today, and we need to make sure we put an arm around him and assure him that he didn't do anything wrong and that it was a tactical move,” Rohit said.

Two uncapped players in Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan have done exceedingly well and the skipper acknowledged this fact. “We made sure Ishan and Surya had confidence - just have to let Ishan loose, and Surya is a more mature player. The kind of form he was in, I should have sacrificed my wicket for Surya. But throughout the tournament he has played some incredible shots,” Rohit said.

The Mumbaikar in Rohit also missed the fact that a Wankhede crowd wasn’t really there to support the team in a big game. “Unfortunately we couldn't have the fans at the stadium. We missed playing at the Wankhede and hopefully, we can get back there next year,” he said.

Shreyas Iyer, the losing captain praised his coach Ponting for helping the team reach its first-ever IPL finale. “Ricky, the amount of freedom he gives us is outstanding. The way he motivates players is simply amazing. His team meetings and motivational speeches are quite incredible,” he said.

Saying that the IPL always amazes people, Iyer resolved that he would make sure that the next trophy is in the hands of Delhi Capitals.

“It's one of the toughest leagues to play. I'm overwhelmed to be part of it, and I'm really proud of my boys, the way they have played to reach the final, it's not easy,” he said.  “Winning the IPL would have been better, but we will see to it that we lift the trophy next year,” the 25-year-old added.  

He also thanked the fans for their support throughout the season. “I would like to thank our fans, and we're thankful for all the support that has been showered on us throughout the season,” said Iyer.

Expert Opinion

The cricket experts praised how two uncapped players in Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan helped Mumbai win the title. At the same time, they also lauded Delhi’s fightback after losing three early wickets.

Freddie Wilde lauded the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for organizing such a huge tournament without any glitch. 

Bharath Seervi, of the best statisticians in the business, pointed to a very strange but amazing stats where Mumbai has not been able to win its first game since last eight seasons. 

Aakash Chopra, a cricketer turned analyst of the sport, praised the uncapped duo of Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav 

On the other hand, Boria Majumdar. ace cricket analyst praised Mumbai for nurturing players like Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav, both of whom have been critical in Mumbai's journey to the final. 

Gaurav Kalra, a senior journalist asked people as to what would they be doing at 7.30 pm from tomorrow onwards as the IPL would now get better. 

Sambit Bal, another senior journalist cited the stats in which Mumbai has had four victories against Delhi Capitals this season and termed it as a sum up off Capitals' season so far. 

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