On This Day in 2017: Jasprit Bumrah Defends 12 Runs in a Super Over Against Aaron Finch and Brendon McCullum

This was clearly seen on 29th April 2017, when Mumbai Indians faced Gujarat Lions at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot. After a thrilling tie, the match headed into a Super Over. With Aaron Finch and Brendon McCullum at the crease, the pressure was immense. However, Bumrah held his nerve, delivering with precision and calmness to guide Mumbai Indians to a famous win. Let us revisit the memorable night of 29th April 2017 in Rajkot.

Mumbai Indians vs Gujarat Lions: 29th April 2017

After being the centre of thrilling matches throughout the 2017 IPL season, the clash between Gujarat Lions and Mumbai Indians at Rajkot on April 29, 2017, produced an absolute classic, eventually requiring a Super Over to separate the two sides. With both teams tied at 153 at the end of their respective innings, it was Mumbai Indians who finally held their nerve better to win the Super Over and take home the points. Let’s dive into how the match unfolded inning-by-inning and how the Super Over drama played out.

Gujarat Lions, led by Suresh Raina, won the toss and opted to bat first on a surface that looked dry and slow. Their innings began with promise but quickly turned chaotic. Ishan Kishan gave them a fiery start, playing some aggressive shots to score a well-crafted 48 off 35 deliveries, including six boundaries and two sixes. However, he kept losing partners at the other end.

Brendon McCullum, known for his big-hitting, fell early for just 6, cleaned up by Lasith Malinga. Suresh Raina, the captain, could not contribute much either, dismissed cheaply for just 1 by Jasprit Bumrah. Aaron Finch’s stay was even shorter, bowled for a duck by Malinga, and Gujarat was soon in trouble at 48 for 3.

Dinesh Karthik tried to stabilize the innings but struggled, eventually stumped by Parthiv Patel off Krunal Pandya for just 2 runs. Ravindra Jadeja offered some resistance with a quick 28 off 21 balls, including two fours and a six, but Krunal Pandya once again broke the stand.
James Faulkner (21 off 27) and Andrew Tye (25 off 12) added some important late runs.

Tye was particularly effective, smashing two sixes to give Gujarat a fighting total. Ankit Soni added a brisk 7 off just 2 balls towards the end. However, Mumbai’s bowlers, particularly Krunal Pandya (3/14 in 4 overs) and Harbhajan Singh (1/23), did well to restrict the flow of runs after the powerplay. Despite the initial momentum, Gujarat Lions managed only 153 for 9 in their 20 overs, setting a competitive but not massive target.

In response, Mumbai Indians got off to a flying start, thanks to Parthiv Patel’s attacking approach. Parthiv played an exceptional innings, scoring 70 off just 44 deliveries, smashing nine boundaries and one six at a strike rate close to 160. He looked in complete control, especially during the powerplay, where Mumbai raced to 61 in the first six overs.
However, wickets kept falling at crucial moments. Jos Buttler was run out after a quick 9, and Nitish Rana was trapped lbw by Ankit Soni for 19.

Rohit Sharma, the Mumbai captain, never found his timing and was dismissed cheaply for 5, caught behind off James Faulkner. Kieron Pollard tried to inject some momentum with a quick 15 off 11, but Basil Thampi struck at crucial moments. Thampi was impressive, finishing with 3 for 29 in his 4 overs, removing Pollard, Hardik Pandya, and Harbhajan Singh in a short span. His efforts dragged the Gujarat Lions back into the contest.

After Parthiv’s dismissal at 109 for 5, Mumbai’s chase began to stutter badly. Krunal Pandya tried to push Mumbai over the line with a fighting 29 off 20, but he was run out dramatically in the final ball of the innings while trying to sneak a second run, leaving Mumbai tied at 153 all out. It was a massive turnaround engineered by Gujarat’s bowlers, particularly Thampi and Faulkner (2/34), and the fielders, who executed three run-outs under pressure. The match, therefore, went into a Super Over as the fans saw this match going in Mumbai Indian’s favour to going to the Super Over.

Super Over Drama

The match entered the Super Over phase, generating high voltage excitement at the Saurashtra Cricket Stadium. After both Gujarat Lions and Mumbai Indians finished with identical scores of 153 in their 20 overs, the fans were on the edge of their seats to witness the rare and thrilling spectacle of a Super Over.

Mumbai Indians sent Jos Buttler and Kieron Pollard to face James Faulkner, Gujarat’s seasoned death-over specialist. Faulkner began with a short ball, and Buttler managed to slap it to sweeper cover for a single. The pressure shifted onto Pollard, who immediately made an impact. Off Faulkner’s second ball, Pollard used his reach and powered an off-cutter wide outside off stump for a four, splitting the deep fielders brilliantly. Faulkner then bowled a length delivery at middle stump, and Pollard, despite no foot movement, unleashed a powerful swing to send it soaring over long-on for a six, sending the Mumbai dugout to a powerful target.

However, Faulkner bounced back sharply. Trying for another big shot, Pollard mistimed a low full toss and offered a straightforward catch to Aaron Finch at long-on, falling after a quick 10 runs off just 3 balls (including a four and a six). The very next ball, Buttler too perished, top-edging a swipe that flew high in the air before Ishan Kishan completed a fine diving catch at backward point. Mumbai Indians managed 11 runs but lost 2 wickets in the Super Over. Chasing 12 runs for victory, Gujarat Lions sent Brendon McCullum and Aaron Finch, two destructive hitters, to open.

Mumbai trusted Jasprit Bumrah to deliver the Super Over, a move that paid off brilliantly. Although Bumrah started with a no-ball yorker (giving a free hit), he maintained his composure and bowled excellent yorkers consistently thereafter. Finch and McCullum struggled to find the gaps or power boundaries. Finch could only manage a single off a low full toss, while McCullum missed a couple of deliveries completely. A wide and a bye added a few extra runs, but the Gujarat pair could never get on top of Bumrah’s precision under pressure.

Ultimately, Gujarat Lions ended their Super Over innings at just 6 runs, handing Mumbai Indians a memorable and hard-fought victory. Bumrah’s execution of toe-crushing yorkers in a pressure-cooker situation sealed the win and highlighted why he was already regarded as one of the best death-over specialists in world cricket amongst the bowlers.