Hyderabad:The defending champions Mumbai Indians have lived up to their reputation and continued their unmatched legacy in the 13th edition of Indian Premier League (IPL). They have reached another final and are on the cusp of lifting a record-extending fifth title.
On their way stand a passionate yet unpredictable Delhi Capitals led by a young Mumbaikar -- Shreyas Iyer. On Tuesday night, when both sides face each other for the first time in the IPL final at Dubai cricket stadium, Mumbai would be overwhelming favourites. The expectations of clinching another title may have a boomerang effect and put them under pressure.
In previous editions, Mumbai have usually lost a couple of games in the beginning, and then in the middle and somehow crawled their way to the last four. However, this season's performance have been an oxymoron to their approach in previous editions.
Mumbai have been the most consistent team this year, winning nine of their 14 matches in the group stage to finish at the top of the table with 18 points.
As Mumbai prepare to defend their elusive crown, ETV Bharat takes a look at their journey to the summit clash.
The start
Mumbai Indians' start in IPL 2020 was not ideal as they lost to last year's finalist Chennai Super Kings by five wickets in the tournament opener. But they took no time and bounced back in the next game and thrashed Kolkata Knight Riders by 49 runs.
However, Rohit's team was stunned by Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bangalore in a match that went down to super over.
But the side was not bogged down by this defeat. They showed their class against Kings XI Punjab defeating them by a big margin of 48 runs.
What separates Mumbai from the rest of the team is their ability to rise when the team is down in the dumps. The team, throughout IPL, has not pondered over what has happened in their previous games and tried to make best of what still remains.
Following their win over KXIP, they got their mojo back and registered victories in their next four games, defeating teams like Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals.
At this point, it was almost certain that Mumbai would reach the final four. The openers got their act together and the triumvirate of Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult and Rahul Chahar ran through oppositions.
The middle-phase
Much like their beginning, Mumbai's middle phase also started with a loss. This time at the hands of Kings XI Punjab in the reverse fixture. Mumbai lost the second super over of this season to KXIP and cricket pundits felt it would break their confidence.
But Mumbai bounced back with a thumping 10-wicket win over Chennai. And just when fans felt that Mumbai were up for a smooth ride to the playoffs, Rajasthan Royals put a speed breaker to their winning march.
Mumbai did qualify anyway after winning the next two games against RCB and DC to become the first team to qualify for the playoffs.
Playoffs
Mumbai Indian finished the group stage as the table toppers, which meant they had two shots to reach the finals. However, the second chance was not needed as Mumbai thrashed the Capitals by 58 runs in the first Qualifier to become the first finalist.
In the first qualifier against Delhi, Bumrah picked four wickets and Trent Boult picked two in his two overs before he was forced to walk off the field with an injury.