'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
#1 CSK won by 22 runs - Final, April 25, 2010
In the final match of the third edition of IPL, the table toppers Mumbai Indians locked horns with the third-ranked Chennai Super Kings. The high-octane encounter which lived up to its grandeur is remembered among the cricket aficionados largely due to the invaluable tactics of MS Dhoni when the match seemed to slip from the hands of his team.
The home team was asked to bowl first at the tricky wicket of Mumbai. Chennai had a great start as they didn't lose any wicket in the powerplay overs. After the powerplay, the Super Kings kept losing wickets at regular intervals but Suresh Raina, who was playing with a positive intent, farmed the strike from one end. Raina's vital knock of 57 and small cameos from Dhoni and Albie Morkel, in the end, helped CSK to reach a decent score of 168 runs in 20 overs.
Chasing such a big target in finals would've never been an easy task. The pressure of finals was quite visible on Mumbai Indians. The young opener Shikhar Dhawan played out a maiden off the first over and was soon dismissed in the second. Meanwhile, Sachin Tendulkar tried to build partnerships with Abhishek Nayar and Harbhajan Singh but they both failed to give support. Tendulkar too was out to Shadab Jakati in the 15th over.
All this while, a question that arose in every MI fan's mind was, “Where is Pollard?”. Kieron Pollard, who generally used to bat at no. 5 or 6 was sent at the 8th position by the MI management. This turned out to be a big mistake as, by the time Pollard walked in, the game had already slipped away from his team's hands as 55 runs were required of the last 18 balls. The power hitter still kept the hopes alive as he hit 22 runs off the 18th over and brought down the equations to 33 required off the last 2 overs.
But what happened next, as they say, is history. Dhoni's streak of brilliance got better of the opponents once again. On the last ball of the penultimate over, Dhoni's strange field setting resulted in the much-needed wicket of Pollard which eventually led to CSK winning the match and becoming the champions of IPL 3.
