‘We could have won that game easily’: CSK’s Imran Tahir recalls ‘heartbreaking’ loss to MI in IPL 2019 final
In reply, Shane Watson scored 80 runs in 59 balls but the rest of the CSK batting line-up struggled. A sensational final over from Lasith Malinga saw CSK getting straned at 148/7 in 20 overs and lost the match, and the title by 1 run.
The final of the Indian Premier League 2019 between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians was an absolute thriller of a contest. After electing to bat first, Mumbai Indians’ top order struggled to get going. With an unbeaten 41 runs in 25 balls, Kieron Pollard toook MI’s total to 149/8 in 20 overs. On papers, it seemed like an easy target for the CSK side to chase. But things turned the other way very quickly.
In reply, Shane Watson scored 80 runs in 59 balls but the rest of the CSK batting line-up struggled. A sensational final over from Lasith Malinga saw CSK getting straned at 148/7 in 20 overs and lost the match, and the title by 1 run.
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In a recent interaction, CSK spinner Imran Tahir recalled the match and said that it was ‘heartbreaking’ for him to lose the final. “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,” Imran 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,” Imran Tahir added.
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“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,” Imran Tahir further said.
CSK led by MS Dhoni will return with a mission to win the trophy when the IPL returns this year in September. The 13th edition of IPL is set to be played in the UAE behind closed doors starting from September 18.
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