MUMBAI, June 2: Attacking all-rounder Yusuf Pathan scripted a memorable last-ball victory for Jaipur’s Rajasthan Royals against Chennai Super Kings in a thrilling final of the Indian Premier League here on Sunday night that more than made up for the two lop-sided semi-finals.

Pathan grabbed three crucial wickets and then produced a belligerent half-century as Rajasthan Royals chased a challenging target of 164 to lift the trophy in the first edition of the championship, which brought several of the world’s top players together in a double-league format played among eight city teams.

The Royals of Jaipur, owned by the Emerging Media, pipped the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings by three wickets in a thrilling last-ball finish in the title-contest at the packed D.Y. Patil Stadium to pocket the top prize of $1.2 million.

The Jaipur team, by far the most consistent in the championship with 11 wins in 14 league matches, were deserving winners under Aussie great Shane Warne. Having thrashed Delhi Daredevils on way to the final, they were on a roll with all-rounders Pathan and Shane Watson proving their match-winning capability time and again.

The two were once again in the thick of things and looked set to take the match away from Chennai Super Kings with a useful partnership before some quick wickets set them back.

Pathan struck his fourth fifty of the tournament, his racy 56 off 39 balls studded with three fours and four sixes. Rajasthan Royals eventually won by three wickets, Warne seeing the team through in the company of Sohail Tanvir after they needed 18 off the last two overs and then eight off the last over bowled by Lakshmipathy Balaji. A wide ball followed by a fumble from wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel helped Rajasthan Royals breath easy in the final over and Sohail drove through the leg side to get the one run needed off the last ball.

Rajasthan Royals did not have a good start chasing a challenging target as they fell to 42-3. But Pathan’s 65-run stand for the fourth wicket with in-form batsman Watson, who struck 28 off 19 balls with three fours, put them back on track.

Pathan continued to torment the bowling even after Watson’s departure, once carting Muttiah Muralitharan for two consecutive sixes. He was lucky to be let off twice, Suresh Raina dropping a skier off Muralitharan when he was on 13, and then Manpreet Gony failing to latch on to a return catch on 33. The all-rounder was also lucky to escape in a mix-up with Warne a little later.

A flurry of wickets just when Rajasthan Royals seemed to have the match in their grasp, made the proceedings interesting. Pathan was run out to a direct throw from Raina as Rajasthan Royals fell to 143-7 after cruising along at 107-3.

Pathan was not only lucky to get some chances while batting but also while bowling, because he was backed really well by some superb fielding earlier in the day.

After a colourful opening ceremony delayed the match by 15 minutes, Pathan took centre-stage to return a fine bowling analysis of 3-22 that pegged the opposition back and prevented a free flow of runs despite a steady start provided by Patel (38).

Pathan got his first wicket as Siddharth Trivedi took a lovely diving catch in the deep after Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan (16) pulled in an effort to clear the mid-wicket boundary. Pathan got success again when wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal pouched a fine catch on second attempt with Patel trying to cut the ball. Kamran also caught Albie Morkel (16) in a melee to give Pathan his third scalp.

Raina and Dhoni came up with brisk knocks later in the innings to keep the team’s hopes alive. Left-handed Raina scored a quick 43 off 30 balls and Dhoni 29 off 17 balls, both batsmen hitting two sixes and a four each.

Rajasthan Royals, who suffered a major blow before the match with the injury of Graeme Smith, brought in Kamran. The extremely impressive Niraj Patel also earned a comeback for the crucial clash.

Chennai Super Kings, who decimated Mohali’s Kings XI Punjab in their semi-final game on Saturday, made no changes to their playing XI.

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