October 6, 2013
Brief Scorecard: Mumbai Indians 202/6 (Smith 44, Maxwell 37, Rohit Sharma 33; Tambe 2/19) beat Rajasthan Royals 169 in 18.5 overs (Rahane 65, Samson 60; Harbhajan 4/32, Pollard 3/31)
October 6, 2013
Brief Scorecard: Mumbai Indians 202/6 (Smith 44, Maxwell 37, Rohit Sharma 33; Tambe 2/19) beat Rajasthan Royals 169 in 18.5 overs (Rahane 65, Samson 60; Harbhajan 4/32, Pollard 3/31)
Mumbai Indians pose with the Champions League trophy, Mumbai Indians v Rajasthan Royals, Final, Champions League 2013, Delhi, October 6, 2013
NEW DELHI: Mumbai Indians made it a golden Twenty20 season for themselves winning the Indian Premier as well as the Champions League T20 title in the same year. The Rohit Sharma-led side defeated Rahul Dravid's Rajasthan Royals by 33 runs to win the CLT20 for the second time at the Ferozeshah Kotla stadium on Sunday.
Chasing 203 to win, Royals were in with a chance till Ajinkya Rahane (65) and Sanju Samson (60) were in the middle but Harbhajan Singh (4/32) and Kieran Pollard (3/31) cut short the chase.
Earlier, Sachin Tendulkar dazzled all-too-briefly in his last T20 game but his teammates put up a frenzied display of power-hitting to enable Mumbai Indians to reach a seemingly insurmountable 202/6 after being put in to bat.
With RR skipper Dravid playing his last competitive game, it was a day of farewells at the Ferozeshah Kotla. The hapless Royals bowlers, though, were left scratching their heads as MI's million-dollar baby Glenn Maxwell finally got it together to lead the late charge, smashing 37 off 14 balls (4×4, 2×6), including two fours and a six off James Faulkner's 19th over.
It was again Dwayne Smith, though, who got the innings going with a belligerent 44 (39b; 5×4, 1×6) before RR's 41-year-old leg-spinning sensation and the tournament's highest wicket-taker Pravin Tambe (4-0-19-2) got rid of him in the 12th over.
Tambe's efforts were undone somewhat as Shane Watson and Stuart Binny kept bowling loose deliveries, and after Ambati Rayudu departed for a 24-ball 29, the stage was set for another Rohit Sharma-Kieron Pollard spectacular.
The MI skipper didn't disappoint, pulling Binny over deep midwicket for maximum before both batsmen targeted Kevon Cooper, the 16th over yielding two sixes and a four and 20 runs before Faulkner uprooted Pollard's leg-stump in the next.
Sharma's belligerence too seemed to take a hit and he went soon after for 33 off 14, but Maxwell and Dinesh Karthik (15 off 5 balls) ensured no let-up in the rampage.
The final itself threatened to turn into a sideshow, though, as Tendulkar and Dravid hogged all the pre-match attention before Tendulkar took guard for what could be the last time at the Kotla.
Just when it seemed Tendulkar would stamp his authority on Watson, though, the bowler sent his off-stump cart wheeling. A subsequent guard of honor from MI players and a muttered "thank you" from the batsman brought the curtains down on Tendulkar's innings in colored clothing.
Courtesy: PTI
