8:10 pm Right. That was some way to cap off what has been an incredible Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Hope you enjoyed our coverage just as much as we enjoyed bringing it to you. Thank you for joining us, and until we meet next, stay safe, goodbye and goodnight!
Hear from Mumbai's heroes!
Sarfaraz Khan: We had previously reached the semi and the quarter. We also lost the Ranji final so we did not want to repeat that feeling. We had good team unity and it paid off. In the semi final and final, having 140-150 runs on the board always makes the game close. I wanted to stay till the end and once I knew there would be five fielders in the ring, I knew it was going to favour me. Tanush Kotian: I was ready and just wanted to execute. Sarfaraz was giving me confidence and the way he played gave me confidence. So it gave me confidence that I could hit as well.
8:05 pm Phew! What a game! Most of us probably need a moment to catch our breath. It ebbed and flowed, and despite Mumbai having a star cast, Himachal Pradesh played their part to perfection. Mumbai, akin to Himachal, lost their way in the middle overs. But when push came to shove, they showed the requisite temperament to nudge across the finish line. A massive contribution from Sarfaraz, who saw wickets tumble around him yet managed to hold his nerve.
Take nothing away from the Himachal Pradesh unit, though, who scrapped for every run and made a middling target look as competitive as they could. The game probably turned in the penultimate over when Sarfaraz scored 10 runs off the final two balls. Sarfaraz was also dropped in the 18th over and as the dust settles, those are probably the two moments Himachal would rue most.
Four runs needed off five balls now. Surely this is Mumbai's game to lose now?
Just six runs needed off the final over. All Kotian has to do is get Sarfaraz back on strike. Can Dhawan pick a wicket, though, and set the cat among the pigeons?
END OF OVER:19 | 17 Runs | MUM: 138/7 (6 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 7.26, RRR: 6.00)
- Sarfaraz Khan36 (31b)
- Tanush Kotian1 (2b)
- Kanwar Abhinay4-0-40-0
- Mayank Dagar4-0-24-2
16 off 8 balls. Skipper Dhawan will bowl the final over. Sarfaraz needs a boundary in these last two balls
17 off 9. What does Kotian do now? Does he go for the big hit or give Sarfaraz the strike?
The physio is out and after the precautionary checks, we are good to go
23 runs in 12 balls. KD Singh to bowl the 19th. Sarfaraz on strike. Who are you backing?
END OF OVER:18 | 5 Runs 1 Wkt | MUM: 121/7 (23 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 6.72, RRR: 11.50)
- Sarfaraz Khan21 (26b)
- Tanush Kotian0 (1b)
- Mayank Dagar4-0-24-2
- Vaibhav Arora4-0-27-3
Tanush Kotian, Mumbai's bowling hero, now walks out to bat. Can he bring a bit of calm to what has become a panicky batting display?
SZ Mulani c Abhinay b Dagar 2 (5m 3b 0x4 0x6) SR: 66.66
Dagar to bowl out
The required run rate is still relatively under control, with only 28 runs needed off the final three overs. What the last over has done, though, is Mumbai now have only four wickets to work with. How does Sarfaraz play this one out? Does he take it deep or attack now?
END OF OVER:17 | 8 Runs 2 Wkts | MUM: 116/6 (28 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 6.82, RRR: 9.33)
- Shams Mulani0 (1b)
- Sarfaraz Khan19 (23b)
- Vaibhav Arora4-0-27-3
- Mayank Dagar3-0-20-1
Aman Hakim Khan c & b Arora 6 (4m 2b 0x4 1x6) SR: 300.00
Aman Khan is the new batter at the crease
S Dube c sub (Amit Kumar) b Arora 7 (16m 9b 1x4 0x6) SR: 77.77
Are Mumbai starting to feel the pinch now?
Vaibhav to bowl out
The required run rate has slowly crept to nine runs per over. Mumbai need 36 runs in four overs, and if Himachal could dismiss either (or both) of these batters, things could get very interesting
