IPL Final 2015: Schedule Info, Live Stream, Viewing Details and Predictions
Chennai Super Kings will take on Mumbai Indians in the 2015 Indian Premier League final in Kolkata on Sunday, the third time the pair have met at this stage.
Mumbai cemented their place in the final with a 25-run victory over Chennai, who had to squeeze past Royal Challengers Bangalore to set up a rematch.
It's set to be a thrilling encounter as the top two IPL teams go head-to-head once again, so here's all the information you need on where to catch the action and a closer look at what to expect.
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Date: Sunday, May 24
Time: 3:30 p.m. BST
Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
TV Info: Sky Sports 5
Live Stream: Sky Go
A Tight Affair
Separating Chennai and Mumbai is a difficult task and should produce a close encounter on Sunday. The pair met in the 2010 and 2013 finals, with both tasting victory and defeat, and both sides won a match apiece when they met in the group stages this year.
Chennai finished top of the standings in the group stage of the tournament. As ESPN's Freddie Wilde notes, their record in the IPL is astounding, having now made the final six times in eight years while winning twice:
Super Kings will have to cope with the loss of their leading run-scorer Brendon McCullum to international duty with New Zealand but nevertheless boast quality throughout their ranks.
Faf du Plessis, MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina and Dwayne Smith have all scored well over 300 runs apiece in the tournament, so even without McCullum expect Chennai to be confident at the crease.
Chennai are also strong with ball in hand. Dwayne Bravo and Ashish Nehra have taken 24 and 22 wickets respectively, while Ravichandran Ashwin has a highly impressive economy rate of 5.59 over 37 overs.
Wilde gave his verdict on Chennai via Twitter:
Mumbai are a definite threat for the final, though, and carry more momentum going into the crunch clash.
Mumbai have won their last three matches, including their nine-wicket thrashing of Sunrisers Hyderabad and qualifier win over their opponents on Tuesday, and finished the season in style after losing their first four matches.
Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle notes the change in fortunes for Mumbai:
Meanwhile, Chennai have somewhat stumbled through to the final after an excellent season, demonstrating mixed form in May.
Lendl Simmons and Rohit Sharma have both scored over 400 runs each this season, while Kieron Pollard's total of 25 sixes is bettered only by Chris Gayle.
On the bowling side, Lasith Malinga and Harbhajan Singh have impressed, with 22 and 16 wickets apiece. Singh played a key role deciding the match when Mumbai beat Super Kings in the qualifier, dismissing Raina and Dhoni in successive balls.
McCullum's absence could make the difference in a match of incredibly tight margins.
The likes of Dhoni have been solid for Chennai without truly sparkling this season. If they're unable to conjure a star performance to make up for the loss of McCullum, Mumbai can edge the match and win their second IPL trophy.
Prediction: Mumbai win
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