A case of form vs sentiment in the finals of IPL 2019
While Mumbai Indians' fans clearly can't stop going gaga about the fact that their side overpowered the Chennai Super Kings as many as three times during the course of the IPL 2019, there are some sentiments that can probably cheer up those fans who bleed yellow ahead of the grand finale tonight.
To start with, only 2 teams ever in the history of IPL achieved the double of topping the table in the league stages and lifted the trophy at the end of the tournament: Shane Warne-led Rajasthan Royals in the inaugural edition in 2008, and Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians in 2017. This means that out of the 11 editions so far, only 2 times has it happened that the league-stage toppers have gone on to lift the trophy as well.
No one can explain this sentiment better than the Super Kings themselves. CSK dominated the tournament in 2013 and 2015, topped the league stages both times, and yet lost embarrassingly to the Mumbai Indians, a team that finished second in the league stages in both seasons. This may be the perfect time for the Super Kings to exact revenge on the Mumbai Indians as this particular sentiment is one that is completely in favour of them.
As if that was not enough, the team that finished second in the league standings went on to win the title as many as 6 times out of the 11 in IPL history. CSK themselves have twice won the trophy (2011 and 2018) after finishing second in the points table.
Winning trophies is nothing new for the Men in Yellow. However, what will be a new experience for them if they go on to lift the trophy is that of taking the longer route. The last time they took this route in 2012, a certain Manvinder Bisla stole the thunder from the Super Kings in a match that was almost theirs. Again, when Suresh Raina attempted a heist in the second qualifier of IPL 2014 against Kings XI Punjab, scoring a blitzkrieg 87 off 25 balls, his own teammate Brendon McCullum ran him out.
On the other hand, Mumbai Indians will be hoping to draw inspiration from the Chennai Super Kings due to the fact that CSK remains the only side in the IPL to defeat an opponent four times in a single season. Only twice has this feat been achieved in the IPL, and unsurprisingly it was Dhoni's side on both occasions. First when they beat the Royal Challengers four times in 2011--with the most ruthless victory coming off in the finals, and the other occasion was only last year, when they beat an otherwise successful SRH team four times with Shane Watson taking all bowlers to the cleaners in the finals.
All said and done, it all boils down to which team can hold their nerves better during the match, given that both teams know playoff situations as well as anybody. However, in a game like this, there is always room for superstitions and sentiments, isn't there? Especially when God himself admitted to religiously following his superstition of putting on his left pad first before going out to bat.