A ruthless Mumbai Indians won an unprecedented fifth Indian Premier League title as Delhi Capitals, for all their efforts and ambitions, were left to contend with a runner-up finish following a five-wicket defeat in Dubai on Tuesday.
Skipper Rohit Sharma led from the front with a 51-ball 68 as MI chased down a target of 157 18.4 overs, after Trent Boult (3/30) had reduced the Capitals to 22 for three with an excellent display of fast bowling.
Earlier, Shreyas Iyer’s unbeaten fifty lifted Delhi Capitals to 156 for seven after the defending champions had them in all sorts of trouble in the summit showdown of the 13th edition of the lucrative event.
Opting to bat after winning the toss, DC were tottering at 22 for three in fourth over before the duo of Iyer (65 off 50 balls) and Rishabh Pant (56 off 38 balls) added 96 runs for the fourth wicket to steer their team to safety.
Pant hit four boundaries and two sixes on the way to his first fifty of the season, while Iyer struck six fours and two maximums.
Mumbai Indians were off to the best possible start with Trent Boult squaring Marcus Stoinis all ends up with the final’s very first delivery.
Ajinkya Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan were dismissed in no time and the Capitals soon found themselves in a sport of bother.
Brief scores
Delhi Capitals: 156/7 in 20 overs (Shreyas Iyer 65 not out, Rishabh Pant 56; Trent Boult 3/30 , Nathan Coulter-Nile 2/29).
Mumbai Indians: 157/5 in 18.4 overs (Rohit Sharma 68 off 50 balls).
(With inputs from PTI)