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Iconic IPL 2020 moments that MI fans will always remember

By Mumbai Indians

IPL 2020 was an absolute dream for the Men in Blue and Gold and all their fans. It was a season of spectacular performances, happy memories, and all-in-all a tale of domination through and through.

We celebrate a year of celebrating that sweet win today. Soon, that cherished team may not be grouped together anymore with the mega auctions coming up. However, this team will forever be one close-knit family in the eyes of the fans.

As we reminisce about the happy memories, here is a look at some iconic moments from the IPL 2020 season.

When a fearless Ishan forced a Super Over

This was the third game for the Mumbai Indians, who had one win and a loss in the tournament so far. Put to bat first, the Royal Challengers Bangalore batters put up a solid total of 201/3 in the allotted 20 overs.

In response, when the Mumbai Indians started batting, the top three batters could only manage 22 runs at a run rate hovering around six as the required run rate started shooting beyond 11 runs per over. In fact, even as the match progressed after that, the team required close to 20 runs per over at a time.

However, Ishan Kishan’s entry, followed by that of the seasoned Kieron Pollard, would prove to be a gamechanger. Between themselves, they stitched together a 119-run partnership that changed the course of the game.

Ishan fell heartbreakingly short of a much-deserved century, departing at 99 (58). MI needed 11 off 3, and Ishan hammered a six. Drama ensued in the next delivery, as an Isuru Udana delivery that looked perfect to be pulled for a six fell just a little short, and more importantly, in the hands of the fielder at the boundary, as Ishan’s gem of an innings came to an end. Pollard’s four off the final ball eventually landed MI in the Super Over, which RCB got the better of.

Brilliant Boult blinds CSK

Having lost the first game against CSK in the IPL 2020 opener, MI definitely knew they had to come back stronger. MI came down hard on their arch-rivals, with Trent Boult being the destructor-in-chief.

MI won the toss and opted to bowl first, and the bowlers justified the captain’s decision to do so with a stellar performance. Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah did what they do best - bowl in tandem and rattle the opponent’s top order batters - reducing them to 3/4 in 2.5 overs.

Boult picked both openers Ruturaj Gaikwad and Faf du Plessis, while Bumrah got Rayudu and Jagadeesan. Boult inflicted more damage when he sent back Ravindra Jadeja to push CSK to 21/5. Sam Curran, who tried to hold fort and was looking destructive at 52, was also seen home when Boult’s delivery found the batter’s stumps in the final ball of the innings.

The New Zealander ended with 4-0-18-4, a feat that allowed the MI batters to come and finish up the game easily, winning the match by 10 wickets.

Hardik Pandya shows his power

Mumbai Indians, already in the better half of the points table, played Rajasthan Royals in their 11th match of the tournament. Winning the toss, the team, led by Kieron Pollard in Rohit Sharma’s absence, looked to bat first.

Ishan Kishan (37 off 36) and Quinton de Kock (6 off 4) opened for the Men in Blue and Gold. From 7/1, Suryakumar Yadav’s 40 (26) gave Ishan enough support to push the team to 90/2 in 10.4 overs. However, the next 10 runs saw the fall of both Surya and Pollard (6 off 4), seeing the team in a spot of trouble.

Hardik Pandya was dropped at 6* (7) with four overs remaining in the game, but that was when he got started. Hardik and Saurabh Tiwary’s 34 (25) added 44 runs in the 17th and 18th overs, propelling MI’s scoreboard ahead.

Hardik finished off with 26 runs in the last five deliveries of the match - 6, 4, 4, 6, 6 - powering MI to 195/5. His half century came off just 20 deliveries, and Hardik pocketed one of his finest innings of 60* (21) in that game.

“I’ve got this”: Suryakumar Yadav

MI was facing RCB for the first time since they were edged out in that Super Over encounter. Once more, RCB were put to bat after the Men in Blue and Gold won the toss. This time, RCB put up a total of 164/6 in 20 overs. Jasprit Bumrah’s 3/14 kept RCB in check despite a good half century from Devdutt Padikkal.

MI started well, posting 45/1 in the powerplay. However, things slowed down for the team soon after at were only at 58/2 in the next three overs, with Ishan Kishan and Quinton de Kock back in the crease. Surya decided to up the ante but his partner, Saurabh Tiwary, fell soon to keep MI at 73/3 in 11 overs.

However, once Krunal Pandya came in, Surya got enough support to free his hands and steer the game well. Two back-to-back 13-run overs and an 8-run over that also saw Krunal Pandya’s wicket later, MI went up to 117/4 in 15 overs, but still needed 48 runs in the last five to win.

Surya didn’t take that target lightly. He regularly sent away the ball towards the boundary and built his innings on 10 fours and three sixes, racing to 79*  in 43 deliveries. When MI chased down the total, they still had five deliveries left, and a calm-looking Surya signalling to the dugout that he’s got this!

A “Boom”ing entry into the IPL 2020 final

The Mumbai Indians faced Delhi Capitals in Qualifier 1, looking for a direct entry into the final. The team was put to bat first. Half centuries from Ishan Kishan (55 off 30) and Suryakumar Yadav (51 off 38), along with Quinton de Kock’s 40 (25) took MI to a total of 200/5.

Boult and Bumrah struck in tandem again at the Delhi Capitals top order, who could barely move the scoreboard in the right direction. Soon, DC were in a pit at 0/3 just 1.2 overs into their innings.

Trent Boult had accounted for Prithvi Shaw and Ajinkya Rahane in the very first over, followed by Bumrah, who took Shikhar Dhawan out next. Soon, Bumrah sent back a possibly dangerous Shreyas Iyer too, and DC were reeling at 20/4 in 4 overs, with 180 runs more to chase.

Next, Bumrah hit the in-form Marcus Stoinis’ stumps to send him back for 65 (46) after he threatened to give hope to DC. He also took Daniel Sams’ wicket to mark the end of the batters’ list for DC. Despite a cameo of 42 (33) from Axar Patel, Bumrah had done enough to ensure these two batting performances failed to take DC across the line.

Bumrah’s spell of 4-1-14-4 took MI to a commanding 57-run win in this game and catapulted the team into the IPL 2020 final.

These moments make us recall the tales of the Men in Blue and Gold with a smile on our faces. Despite these having happened over a year ago, we allow them to linger a little longer in us every time we recall these stories.

Five days later, the Men in Blue and Gold won a record fifth IPL title. As the team celebrated this, the aroma of the success floated over to us fans, who wholeheartedly dwell in it till date!