The 12th season of the IPL ended on Sunday with table-toppers Mumbai Indians beating defending champions Chennai Super Kings in the final by one run, to claim their record fourth IPL championship.
The final in Hyderabad was a riveting and fitting close to IPL 2019, which ended with the 32nd last-over finish of the season.
On that note, here’s a look at the five best matches of IPL 2019 that ended in the last over:
CSK vs MI, the final – CSK won by one run
In the IPL 2019 final, Rohit Sharma’s Mumbai Indians became the most successful IPL franchise after their bowlers clinched a one-run win over CSK.
The veteran Sri Lanka pace bowler Lasith Malinga – in his 12th season with MI – conceded just seven runs off the last over of the final and trapped Shardul Thakur lbw off the final ball of the match to seal his team’s fourth IPL trophy. (FULL SCORECARD: MI vs CSK, IPL 2019 Final)
Kieron Pollard’s unbeaten 41 off 25 balls helped MI to a modest total of 148/9 in 20 overs, after which CSK lost wickets at regular intervals to keep the chase interesting. Shane Watson hit the only half-century of the match, and thanks to him CSK looked on course for victory.
But Watson was run out for 80 off the fourth ball of the last oven coming back for a second run, which left CSK needing four runs off two balls. Thakur clipped Malinga for two and was then hit in front of the stumps to have CSK end on 148/7 in their 20 overs.
(READ: Pollard’s bizarre protest, Malinga’s last-over heroics and other talking points)
SRH vs DC, Eliminator – DC won by two wickets
Delhi Capitals pipped Sunrisers Hyderabad in a heart-stopping Eliminator to meet CSK in Qualifier 2.
Chasing 163, Capitals – in their first IPL playoff match since 2012 – won with one delivery remaining. From needing 12 runs off 12 deliveries, Capitals lost Sherfane Rutherford, Rishabh Pant and Amit Mishra in the span of 10 deliveries. With two balls left in the match, Keemo Paul pulled left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed to the midwicket boundary for the winning runs. (FULL SCORECARD: DC vs SRH, IPL Eliminator)
Shreyas Iyer, the Capitals’ captain, described the last two overs as “hell”.
MI vs XKIP, game 24 – MI won by three wickets
Leading MI in the absence of the injured Rohit Sharma, Kieron Pollard promoted himself up the batting order, at No 4, and took on an unlikely chase to smash a 31-ball 83 to lead the home team’s chase of 198.
The team needed 133 from the last 10 overs against Kings XI Punjab and thanks to Pollard, who was seventh out in the final over, they won off the last delivery. (FULL SCORECARD: MI vs KXIP, Match 24)
CSK vs RR, game 25 – CSK won by four wickets
Mitchell Santner hit a last-ball six as CSK beat Rajasthan Royals by four wickets at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium after a dramatic and controversial last over which included a no-ball, an aborted no-ball, a wide, a falling-flat-on-the-ground six from Ravindra Jadeja and an angry MS Dhoni walking out onto the field.
Defending 17 runs off the last over, Ben Stokes was hit by Jadeja for a stunning six first ball, followed by a no-ball and two runs to Dhoni. Off the third ball of the over, Dhoni was bowled by Stokes for 58.
Off the next ball, doubts about the height of the delivery saw the CSK dug out all stand as one and then Dhoni walk onto the field to ask why the umpires had not called a no-ball. After the controversial situation was diffused, Stokes conceded two followed by a wide. Needing three off the last ball, Santner swung Stokes for six to seal a humdinger. (FULL SCORECARD: RR vs CSK, Match 25)
RCB vs CSK, game 39 – RCB won by one run
Dhoni almost pulled off CSK’s chase of 161 against Royal Challengers Bangalore as he smashed five fours and seven sixes in his 48-ball blitz only to see his team lose by one run. (FULL SCORECARD: RCB vs CSK, Match 39)
Dhoni, in the penultimate over, denied three singles off three balls even with a batsman of Dwayne Bravo’s calibre at the other end.
After RCB’s narrow win, Virat Kohli went through a range of emotions as he spoke about Dhoni’s exploits and how impressive the bowlers were until the 19th over.
