On This Day: Rohit Sharma's Mumbai Indians Clinched 3rd IPL Title Vs RPSG

Mumbai Indians in 2017 [X]Mumbai Indians in 2017 [X]

On May 21, 2017, the Mumbai Indians (MI) secured their third Indian Premier League (IPL) title with a dramatic one-run victory over the Rising Pune Supergiant (RPSG) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

This win marked MI’s third title, making them the first team to achieve this milestone.

Mumbai's journey to the final was impressive. After failing to qualify for the playoffs in 2016, MI, under Rohit Sharma's leadership, recorded six successive wins to secure a playoff spot in 2017.

Despite losing to RPSG in Qualifier 1, MI bounced back with a six-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Qualifier 2.

What transpired in the 2017 final

Choosing to bat first in the final, MI struggled early on. Jaydev Unadkat removed both openers in the third over, and Adam Zampa dismissed Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard, leaving MI at a precarious 79-7. However, Krunal Pandya’s crucial 47 off 38 balls helped MI post a defendable total of 129-8.

In response, RPSG started cautiously. Jasprit Bumrah provided the first breakthrough by dismissing Rahul Tripathi. Ajinkya Rahane and Steve Smith then built a 50+ partnership to stabilize the innings.

However, Mitchell Johnson's dismissal of Rahane in the 12th over and subsequent wickets created pressure on the RPSG lineup.

The match culminated in a tense final over with RPSG needing 11 runs. Johnson dismissed Manoj Tiwary and Steve Smith, bringing the equation down to 4 runs off the last ball.

Dan Christian managed only two runs before being run out by Parthiv Patel while attempting a third, handing MI a narrow one-run victory.

Krunal Pandya was named Player of the Match for his batting heroics, while Bumrah and Johnson were pivotal in restricting RPSG.

MI’s 2017 triumph laid the foundation for further successes in 2019 and 2020, establishing them as the most successful franchise in IPL history.