To lose the final of the 2019 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) by the smallest possible margin to Mumbai Indians (MI) was "heartbreaking", said Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) overseas recruit, leg-spinner Imran Tahir.
With both teams having won the title thrice at the time, it was a battle of supremacy to be named the most successful franchise in the history of IPL.
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Losing the toss and bowling first in Hyderabad, CSK restricted MI to 149/8, with Deepak Chahar (2/26) and Tahir himself (2/23) delivering fine spells. MI, who struggled initially, could only reach past the 140-run mark because of Kieron Pollard's invaluable 41 not out off 25 balls.
In the run-chase, Shane Watson played an excellent innings (80 off 59 balls), but a middle-order collapse meant that the MS Dhoni-led side was held back in its quest. As it turned out, the highly-experienced Lasith Malinga bowled a memorable last over and defended the score by just 1 run for MI.
“It was heart-breaking as we won almost every game, we managed to beat the big teams. Some of the teams we beat twice as well. You stay with your family for six to eight weeks and then you lose by one run," Tahir told Anis Sajan on his Instagram Live chat show, according to Crictracker.
“At the end of the day, it’s only a run, but you still come second. For me, I have no doubt that we did what we could, giving everything. Results are never going to be in our hands."
"That was a game we could have won easily. We have seen Shardul Thakur hit a lot of sixes and that’s why he went to bat. But unfortunately, (Lasith) Malinga bowled well. Malinga is one of the best bowlers in the world and he handled the pressure well. I was very sad after the match, personally, just like the other CSK members," he added.
The CSK-MI rivalry has been one of the most entertaining aspects of the IPL. It will continue later this year when the league's 13th edition kickstarts in UAE from September 19. The tournament couldn't be held in its traditional window in April-May due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
