New Delhi:
Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings will square off for the fourth time in IPL 2019. This will also be their fourth encounter in the finals, having clashed three times earlier in 2010, 2013 and 2015. The team that wins the final on Sunday will become the four-time IPL champions which will be an unprecedented feat. For Chennai Super Kings, this will be their eighth final in 10 editions while for Mumbai Indians, they have reached the final for the fourth time. When it comes to Rohit Sharma’s side, there is a certain trend when it comes to winning Indian Premier League titles and it is an ‘odd’ one.
Rohit Sharma’s side has won titles when there have been odd years. Having lost to Chennai Super Kings in the final of the 2010 edition, Mumbai Indians broke their Twenty20 jinx in grand style by winning the Champions League Twenty20 in 2011 when they defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore by 31 runs. Having won the Champions League T20 before the IPL, Mumbai Indians looked set to stamp their dominance on the league and they started it in 2013.
After dominating in the group stages, Mumbai Indians came up against Chennai Super Kings in the final in Eden Gardens and they won the match by 23 runs to secure their maiden IPL title. After not reaching the knock-outs in 2014, Mumbai Indians once again reached the final in 2015 where they met Chennai Super Kings again in Kolkata. Rohit’s side once again got the better of MS Dhoni as they won by 48 runs.
In 2017, Chennai Super Kings were suspended but Dhoni was still with the IPL, playing for Rising Pune Supergiants. In a tense final, Mitchell Johnson held his nerve and Mumbai Indians won the match by one run against Rising Pune Supergiants in Hyderabad to become the first team to win the title three times. Thus, Mumbai Indians have won the IPL on odd years and heading into the 2019 edition final, Rohit’s side look good for their fourth title and they are high on confidence after beating Chennai Super Kings in all the three matches so far.
If one has to stretch the ‘odd’ factor, Rohit won his first IPL title in 2009 when he was with the Deccan Chargers when they defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore by six runs. Thus, the odd year is really lucky for Rohit and Mumbai Indians and 2019 could just be a continuation.
