When Captain Sharma lit up the night with a blistering half-century that paved the way for Mumbai’s second IPL crown
There are IPL finals, and then there's this IPL final—the one where Rohit Sharma didn't just bat; he batted like a man on a mission. On the evening of May 24, 2015, Eden Gardens wasn't just drenched in sweat and suspense; it was drenched in brilliance. Leading that charge was Rohit Sharma, Mumbai Indians' calm skipper, with a bat that spoke louder than any team huddle ever could.
You see, the Mumbai Indians had started their 2015 campaign at rock bottom—dead last after two weeks. But as the weeks rolled on, they pulled up their socks, gathered momentum, and were breathing fire by the time they reached the summit clash. It was only fitting that in the final against Chennai Super Kings, Rohit set the tone with the kind of innings that IPL folklore is made of.
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When Parthiv Patel was run out for a duck in the very first over, the Eden crowd received an early jolt. But before CSK could even get comfortable, Rohit Sharma walked in and turned the tide. It didn't take him long to make his intentions clear.
Facing Mohit Sharma in the second over, Rohit exploded. A couple of drives, a swat through midwicket, and a majestic six later, the tone was set. He collected 16 runs in that over, and from there, never looked back.
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With timing as smooth as silk and intent as sharp as a sword, Rohit Sharma carved out 50 runs off just 26 balls—a strike rate of 192.30 that screamed dominance.
He found the ropes 6 times and cleared them twice. All the while, the pressure that CSK was trying to build slipped away like sand through fingers.
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Rohit's 119-run partnership with Lendl Simmons became the heartbeat of Mumbai's innings. While Simmons played the accumulator, it was Rohit who set the tempo. The duo took the Powerplay for a ride—61 runs came off the first six overs, with Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin both suffering under the pressure.
By the time Rohit departed, caught at long-on trying to take on Bravo, he had already inflicted deep scars. MI was 120/2 in 12 overs, and the scoreboard was galloping.
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With the foundation laid, Kieron Pollard and Ambati Rayudu picked up the baton. Pollard's 18-ball 36 and Rayudu's 24-ball 36 propelled Mumbai to a final score of 202/5—the second 200+ total in an IPL final at the time. The damage inflicted by Rohit early on meant CSK was always behind in the game.
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Chennai Super Kings needed to pull a rabbit out of the hat. But all they found were dots and frustration. Dwayne Smith's sluggish fifty off 48 balls drained momentum, and with Harbhajan Singh, Lasith Malinga, and Mitchell McClenaghan chipping away, the chase crumbled.
CSK huffed and puffed to 161/8, falling short by 41 runs. The Mumbai Indians were crowned champions for the second time, and Rohit Sharma was rightly named Player of the Match.
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Rohit's half-century wasn't the highest score of the night. However, the crucial innings broke the shackles early, pinned CSK to the mat, and lifted Mumbai from potential panic to clinch the title for the second time.
That 24-ball fifty didn't just earn him an award—it sparked a title win and reminded everyone why Rohit is the man for the big stage.
