On This Day in 2015: Kieron Pollard Helps Mumbai Indians Reach the IPL 2015 Final

He has been a key player for Mumbai Indians, stepping up whenever the team needed him the most. On 19th May 2015, during Qualifier 1 of IPL 2015 against Chennai Super Kings, Pollard once again made a big impact. His powerful innings turned the match around and helped Mumbai reach the final. It was another example of how important Pollard has been for Mumbai. Let’s take a look at how that exciting match unfolded!

Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings: 19th May 2015 Qualifier 1

On the night of May 19, 2015, Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai was electric as Mumbai Indians (MI) took on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL Qualifier 1. The crowd, a sea of blue, roared for MI, even though the match was officially a BCCI-organized playoff. MI, captained by Rohit Sharma, aimed to book a spot in the final, while MS Dhoni’s CSK looked to maintain their playoff race.

MI won the toss and chose to bat on a pitch favoring runs. Openers Lendl Simmons and Parthiv Patel faced a disciplined CSK attack led by Ravichandran Ashwin, who bowled the first over, conceding 5 runs. Ashish Nehra’s swing kept things tight, with his first over giving away 6 runs, including a wide. MI scored 11/0 after 2 overs, with Simmons edging a four off Nehra. The third over saw Ashwin restrict MI to 4 runs, but Simmons broke free in the fourth, hitting a four off Nehra to take MI to 22/0.

#OnThisDay in 2015

MI beat CSK by 25 runs in Qualifier 1 & Reached Final 💥

Pollard received M.O.M award for his 41 (17) knock, Harbhajan dismissed Raina & Dhoni in back to back deliveries 💥

This is only IPL match
– CSK Got allout in Playoffs
– Dhoni scored Duck while chasing pic.twitter.com/szQ5VPPDZ6

— 𝑺𝒉𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒔 (@Shebas_10dulkar) May 19, 2022

The powerplay ended with MI at 48/0 after 6 overs, Simmons smashing three sixes, two off Ashwin in the fifth (13 runs) and one off Nehra in the sixth (13 runs). Parthiv added a four off Nehra. In the seventh over, Pawan Negi bowled tidily (5 runs), but Parthiv exploded in the eighth, hitting Negi for a six and two fours, pushing MI to 78/0. Simmons reached his fifty in the ninth over off Mohit Sharma, who conceded 8 runs, including a four.

Dwayne Bravo broke through in the 11th over, dismissing Parthiv for 35 (25 balls, 4×4, 1×6) with a slower ball, caught at long-on. MI were 91/1. Rohit Sharma joined Simmons, and they added 28 runs. Simmons lofted Mohit for a six in the 12th over (10 runs), taking MI past 100. Ravindra Jadeja struck in the 14th, removing Simmons for 65 off 51 balls with 3 boundaries and 5 sixes, caught by Negi at deep cover. MI were 119/2.

Kieron Pollard arrived and shifted gears. He smashed Negi for two sixes in the 15th over (16 runs), taking MI to 135/2. Bravo dismissed Rohit for 19 off 14 balls and having scored a boundary and a six in the 16th over, caught at deep midwicket, making it 139/3. Hardik Pandya fell for 1 to Nehra in the 17th over, caught by Jadeja, leaving MI at 141/4. Nehra’s over was tight (2 runs). Pollard kept attacking, hitting a six and a four off Bravo in the 18th (15 runs).

MS Dhoni has been fined after he called Dwayne Smith's LBW a 'horrible decision'. #IPL #CSKvsMI pic.twitter.com/tBU1Pf9gQq

— Sportskeeda (@Sportskeeda) May 20, 2015

Mohit Sharma’s 19th over cost 15 runs, with Pollard smashing a six and Rayudu falling for 10 (8 balls, 1×4), caught at long-on. In the final over, Bravo conceded 16 runs, including a six from Pollard, who was dismissed for 41 off just 17 balls with 1 boundary and 5 sixes, caught at long-off. Harbhajan Singh’s 4 off Bravo helped MI finish at 187/6. Bravo took 3/40, Mohit 1/33, Jadeja 1/18, and Nehra 1/28. CSK’s bowlers pulled back, but Pollard’s late blitz set a tough target.

CSK’s chase started poorly. Malinga trapped Dwayne Smith lbw for 0 in the first over (2 runs), a controversial call as the ball seemed to miss leg stump.Dhoni later called it “horrible,” earning a 10% match fee fine. Faf du Plessis and Michael Hussey responded, with du Plessis hitting a six and a four off Mitchell McClenaghan in the second over (17 runs). CSK reached 23/1 after 3 overs, with Malinga conceding 4 runs.

Vinay Kumar’s fourth over yielded 10 runs, including a six from Hussey. McClenaghan’s fifth over cost 13 runs, with du Plessis hitting three fours. Vinay struck in the sixth, dismissing Hussey for 16 off 11 balls caught by Parthiv, leaving CSK at 54/2. Suresh Raina and du Plessis added 34 runs, with Raina hitting a six off Vinay in the sixth (8 runs). CSK were 61/2 after 7 overs, with Harbhajan conceding 7 runs.

Pollard’s eighth over was tight (5 runs), but Harbhajan changed the game in the 11th. He dismissed Raina for 25 off 20 balls with 2 sixes in a return catch and Dhoni for 0 (lbw) on consecutive balls, leaving CSK at 88/4. Harbhajan’s over yielded 2 runs and two wickets. Jagadeesha Suchith bowled the 12th (7 runs), with Bravo hitting a four. Harbhajan’s 13th over cost 4 runs, and Suchith’s 14th saw du Plessis fall for 45 (34 balls, 5×4, 1×6), caught at long-on, and Bravo hit a six and a four (11 runs). CSK were 110/5.

Pollard’s 15th over saw Bravo run out for 20 off 15 balls and having scored 2x boundaries and a six, he was dismissed after a direct hit by Parthiv, making it 121/6. Vinay’s 16th over cost 8 runs, with Pawan Negi falling for 3, caught at mid-off by Singh, making it 129/7. Malinga’s 17th over yielded 12 runs, with Ashwin hitting two fours. McClenaghan’s 18th over saw Jadeja dismissed for 19 runs off 14 balls, caught at deep point, and CSK were 157/8 (16 runs).

Malinga’s 19th over sealed the match, dismissing Ashwin for 23 off 12 balls with 2 boundaries and a six, caught at deep midwicket, and Nehra (0 off 1), caught at deep square leg. CSK finished at 162/10 in 19 overs. Malinga took 3/23, Harbhajan 2/26, Vinay 2/26, Suchith 1/18, and McClenaghan 1/46. Pollard bowled 3/22. MI’s batting was led by Simmons’ 65 and Pollard’s 41, setting 187/6. CSK’s chase faltered after Harbhajan’s double strike, with du Plessis (45) and Raina (25) unable to keep up. MI’s bowlers, especially Malinga and Harbhajan, were relentless, and fielding efforts like Parthiv’s run-out were crucial.

Rohit Sharma praised MI’s consistency after early season losses, while Dhoni admitted CSK’s batting was soft and lost momentum. The Wankhede crowd’s energy boosted MI, who advanced to the Kolkata final. CSK headed to Ranchi for Qualifier 2. This 25-run win highlighted MI’s turnaround from a 0-4 start, showcasing their depth and clutch performance in a high-stakes game.