Man of the Match awardees in IPL finals

2017 – Krunal Pandya (Mumbai Indians)

As the Mumbai Indians extended their dominance in the IPL, finishing at the top of the table, they were increasingly grateful to Krunal Pandya’s contributions throughout the league stage. The all-rounder, despite being in the shadow of his more successful brother Hardik, never failed to provide the impetus when MI needed it. On the night of the final as well when Mumbai faced their nemesis Rising Pune Supergiant, he delivered with the bat.

While Mumbai struggled to go beyond 6 runs an over, Krunal came it at no.5 to add the much-needed flair to their innings. Courtesy of his 38-ball 47, the Mumbai Indians had 129 runs on the board. As it turned out, 129 was just enough for MI to scamper to a record third title.

Any credit given to Krunal Pandya seems insufficient, as he was the man who pulled his side out of troubled waters. From a phase when Mumbai looked like they would be skittled out below 100 runs, Krunal’s knock proved to be instrumental in a nail-biting final. The Mumbai Indians were finally able to overcome the Pune jinx, and Pandya would cherish the final for his match-saving innings.