IPL: Best match for each of the current team 

#2 Mumbai Indians

Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals 2014

The last league match of IPL 2014 was to be played between Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals. The chances for the playoffs were almost sealed for the Royals as they had 14 points in 13 matches with a respectable net run rate.

While the other team i.e., Mumbai Indians had very fewer chances to make it to playoffs as they had 12 points in 13 matches with a poor net run rate. MI could have only qualified in the playoffs if they would have defeated RR in either 14.3 overs or by 42 runs. This looked tough but as they say, cricket is a game of uncertainties.

MI winning the toss elected to bowl first. The Rajasthan batsmen Sanju Samson and Karun Nair scored half-centuries and then with the help of the finishing touch of James Faulkner, RR set a total of 189 runs in 20 overs which meant MI had to chase 190 runs in 14.3 overs to make it to the playoffs.

Mumbai sent Lendl Simmons and Michael Hussey as their two openers. Both the openers went back to the dugout in under 5 overs. Mumbai soon lost the wicket of Kieron Pollard and Rohit Sharma as well.

On one end, the wickets kept on falling, and on the other end, Corey Anderson held his calm and then took the charge. He built an ebullient partnership with Ambati Rayudu and made the impossible look possible.

MI scored 181 runs in 13 overs and needed 9 runs in 3 balls to qualify for the playoffs. Ambati Rayudu smashed a six on the 2nd ball of the over and then Mumbai required 2 runs from 1 ball.

Mumbai was able to take just 1 run from the last ball and the scores were then levelled. Now the condition was that MI needed to hit a boundary (either a 4 or a 6) on the next ball to qualify for the playoffs.

Due to Rayudu being run out in the previous ball, out came Aditya Tare. He smacked the ball for sixer towards the long leg and fetched a miracle. Mumbai Indians qualified for the playoffs and then those shirtless celebrations after winning the game were truly memorable.

Corey Anderson was awarded the Man of the Match for his mighty knock of 95 runs in 44 balls. This match and this sort of finish by the Mumbai Indians batsmen left us all befuddled.