MI vs CSK Qualifier 1: Mumbai Indians enter IPL final with 25-run win vs Chennai Super Kings

IPL MATCH CENTRE







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Mumbai Indians (MI) put up a superb all-round performance crushing Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by 25 runs to enter the final of the eighth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in Mumbai on Tuesday. This is the third time Mumbai have entered the final, after 2010 and 2013.

Mumbai Indians scored 187 for six largely due to a brilliant cameo from Kieron Pollard who smashed a 17-ball-41 after a solid platform was laid by Lendl Simmons' 65 off 51 balls.

In reply, CSK's much-vaunted batting line-up could muster only 162 all out in 19 overs as none of the top-order batsmen went on to play a match-winning knock.

Such was the domination by the home team that Mumbai were almost always on top in the match.

But five-time finalists and two-time champions CSK will get another crack during the second Qualifier to be played in Mahendra Singh Dhoni's hometown Ranchi.

The telling blow was dealt by Harbhajan Singh (2/26 in 4 overs), who removed the dangerous Suresh Raina (25) and skipper MS Dhoni (0) off successive deliveries to swing the match decisively in MI's favour. Lasith Malinga (3/23) and R Vinay Kumar (2/26) played their part as well as MI have now won nine out of 11 matches.