Mumbai win back their trophy

the other stand-out performers of the season. Minutes after Kulkarni was mobbed by the squad,captain Wasim Jaffer was holding up the famous silverware. For Jaffer,it was a double delight he hadnt just led the team to the title in his first season as captain but was also the chief architect of the triumph. By scoring 1260 runs in 10 games,he sat comfortably on the top of the list of run-getters,with his team mate Ajinkya Rahane,all of 20,in second place with 1089 runs. Add to that list the 21-year-old Rohit Sharma,who matched Tendulkars record of scoring two hundreds in the final,and Mumbai have several reasons to smile going forward.

Team effort

Such was the mood in the dressing room that even juniors in the side drenched Tendulkar during the post-win celebration,as he and Zaheer became one of the boys,shrieking and whistling in the team bus. With a flight to catch,the victorious team were in a hurry to leave the stadium but constant phone calls from Mumbai Cricket Association officials meant a big reception and a long night of celebration was planned back home.

Skipper Jaffer,always politically correct,was on the ball when he said that it was team effort that had made them play at their clinical best this season. We batted and bowled well all through the season. If one talks about this match,I want to say that the two dropped catches made the difference in the first innings when Sharma was handed two life-lines after Mumbai were 55 for four. After that Rohit and Abhishek Nayar played sensible cricket and we were back in the game, he said.

Looking ahead

The scene in the UP dressing room was naturally subdued. For the second time in two years,the team had fallen at the final hurdle,but there were still several positives to take from the season. Mohammad Kaif,who scored a fine 72 on Friday to deny Mumbai an early win,hoped that next year they would be able to take the crucial last step.

When asked about the game,he took out a piece of paper. Ive written down points to ponder about from this game. I hope we will be able to change some things in the next season.

Reminded about Sharmas dropped catch in the first innings,he just grimaced. In the final analysis,Kaifs rare misses had made the big difference. But the UP captain didnt want to think about them. It is cricket,such things happen,drop me if you want, he said,before adding with a benevolent smile as he headed towards the team bus: Chalo,maaf karo. Okay forgive me,lets move on.