Pandya, Johnson guide Mumbai to third title

A match defining 50-run stand between, Krunal Pandya and Mitchell Johnson, for the eighth wicket, helped Mumbai pull off a narrow one-run win against Pune, to be crowned champions of the Indian Twenty20 competition - for the third time in ten editions - at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad on Sunday.

Pune had beaten Mumbai thrice this season and they hoped to cap the season by lifting the title. Rohit Sharma, at the toss, pointed to the slowness of the surface in the second innings as the reason for batting first. His ploy though faltered as Pune's opening bowlers, Jaydev Unadkat and Washington Sundar, made life difficult for Mumbai's openers, dismissing them in the third over. Ambati Rayadu and Sharma got starts but failed to capitalize. By the 15th over, Mumbai stood at 79 for 7. It was then that Pandya and Johnson came together. Pandya, batting on 15 at that stage, looked to rotate the strike. The duo took three overs to switch gears.

Johnson broke the ice in the 18th over by slamming Daniel Christian for a massive six, Pandya thumped the last ball of the same over for a four. He then clubbed Unadkat for a six in the 19th and finished the innings with a four and a six, before falling off the last ball for a 38-ball 47. He had scored 30 of his 47 runs on the leg side. The final onslaught helped Mumbai post 129, which Pune failed to chase. Pandya and Johnson scored at 8.57 runs in the 5.5 overs they batted together.