3 all-time thrilling finals ahead of MI vs CSK IPL Final: The Sportsrush presents before you 3 thrilling IPL finals ahead of IPL 2019 Final.
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It has been 12 years now. 12 years of all the excitement, fun, raw emotions, and every other feeling which might even be inexplicable to express verbally or otherwise. And what acts as the final beautiful garnish are the edge-of-the-seat final encounters which leave a lasting impression on the minds of the fans all around.
TSR has tried to narrow down the 11 finals to just 3 most thrilling ones before of course this year’s finals featuring CSK and MI. The three IPL all-time finals which we think drove the fans crazy all around more than the other finals were the ones in the the year 2008 ( the very first season), in 2014 and in the year 2017.
3 edge-of-the-seat-finals
Rajasthan Royals (RR) vs Chennai Super Kings (CSK) ( 2008)
After posting 163 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in their alloted quota of 20 overs, CSK were brimming with confidence with valuable contributions from Parthiv Patel and Suresh Raina at the top. It was MS Dhoni who provided that final dash which helped them cross the 160 mark.
The chase from RR was a more of a conventional one, with the game in balance right till the end. Yusuf Pathan’s quickfire 56 runs off 39 deliveries, along with valuable contributions from Shane Watson and Swapnil Asnodkar at the top made sure that the RR were never out of the game.
With 8 runs required off the final over and Yusuf unfortunately getting run out in the 18th over, a cliffhanger of a contest was for grabs in the very inaugural season of the IPL. Eventually it all boiled down to the final delivery, with just one run required off it. And ultimately it was the southpaw from Pakistan- Sohail Tanvir, who hit a boundary through the mid-on region and won it for the RR by 3 wickets.
ALSO READ: MI vs CSK- Head to head in IPL
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) vs Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) (2014)
This one was a high scoring affair. Batting first, the Kings from Punjab posted a mammoth 199/4 in their 20 overs, courtesy a scintillating 115 runs off 55 balls by Wriddhiman Saha, which included 10 fours and 8 sixes.
In reply the KKR had to go all out right from the word go- which they did. Manish Pandey (94 off 50) and Yusuf Pathan (36 off 22) scored at a brisk rate and ensured that they left an achievable total in the last 5 overs or so.
Having already done the damage, and only 5 required off the final 6 deliveries, Piyush Chawla sliced the ball over the point region off Awana and crossed the KKR over the line with 3 balls to spare.
The innings played by Saha and Manish Pandey for their respective teams maked it an IPL final worth remembering for the many more IPLs to come.
Mumbai Indians (MI) vs Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS) (2017)
This one was yet another low scoring contest, providing further testament as to how thrilling such games can be. Batting first, a handy knock by Krunal Pandya (47 off 38) ensured that the MI bowlers had something on the board, as they could garner only 129 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in their 20 overs.
In reply, a cautious start from Steve Smith and co., and having lost only 2 wickets till the end of the 15th over made sure that the things were under control for the RPS. At least that is what it seemed from the outside. But, soon the tables turned and turned without a warning.
With 11 runs required off the last over and 7 wickets still in the bank, including the prized wicket of Steve Smith, the RPS faltered. The final over of Mitchell Johnson scalped 3 RPS wickets, including that of Smith’s. And with 4 required of the last over, Daniel Christian could only afford a couple, handing MI a victory out of nowhere.
