Mumbai won their maiden IPL title on this day in 2013
During the first five years of the Indian Premier League, Mumbai Indians, a team filled with veterans cricketers and star icons, were equally dominant with a consecutive playoffs qualification, but failed at crucial junctures in the final stages of the tournament to deny themselves the trophy. 2013 was however different for Mumbai. A poor beginning, captaincy change, questions of uncertainty, but fortune favoured them immensely as Mumbai stunned IPL powerhouse Chennai Super Kings in the final to win their maiden title.
Mumbai looked inconsistent both with the bat and ball, and were somehow latching onto the mid-section of the points table riding on batting performances from Dinesh Karthik, Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard. But in the second half of the season, Mumbai won seven of their eight matches before back-to-back defeats from Rajasthan Royals ensured a second-place finish post the group stage.
In the first qualifier, two-time champion Chennai Super Kings defeated Mumbai to reach the final again, while the latter were forced to endure a tougher track.
Rohit Sharma's side bounced back strong to defeat Rajasthan in the second qualifier to set up a summit clash with MS Dhoni's army.
Mumbai incurred a poor start in the finale but Pollard's gritty unbeaten 60 helped them finish with 148 for nine. In reply, the bowlers reduced Chennai to 39 for six. Dhoni did offer some resistance, but eventually succumbed as Chennai finished at 125 for nine as Mumbai won their maiden IPL title.
With the defeat, Chennai became the first IPL team to lose two successive finals - in 2012 to Kolkata Knight Riders and in 2013 to Mumbai.
Mumbai later went on to add three more titles to their cabinet with the team and their skipper Rohit becoming the most successful side and skipper in the history of the tournament. Mumbai had, in fact, defeated Chennai in IPL 2019 final to win their fourth title.
