Four-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) entering the Indian Premier League (IPL) final after winning their first playoff game is only the third instance of a team finishing atop in the league phase and entering the title round after winning Qualifier 1.
Since the playoffs system began in 2011, only Chennai Super Kings (CSK, in 2013) and MI (2019) are teams that have finished on top of the table and won their Qualifier 1 game. On Monday, Mumbai achieved the feat again by beating the Delhi Capitals by 57 runs.
In the other seven instances, teams finishing on top of the table have had to go through Qualifier 2.
Also, MI remain the only team in IPL history to have won the title without losing any of their playoff matches, which they did last year. They are on course of repeating it this year.
Here's a look at what table-toppers have done over the last 10 years since playoffs began in 2011:
2011
Royal Challengers Bangalore finished atop of the table but couldn't qualify for finals from Qualifier 1. They won Qualifier 2, but then lost in the final.
2012
The then Delhi franchise, Delhi Daredevils, finished on top of the table but lost both playoff matches i.e. Qualifier 1 and Qualifier 2.
2013
CSK finished atop on net run rate, and went through to the final straightaway after winning Qualifier 1. However, there they lost to MI in the final.
2014
Kings XI Punjab finished on top of the points table but they lost Qualifier 1 and had to go through to the final via Qualifier 2. In the final, they lost to KKR.
2015
CSK finished atop, ahead of MI in second place, but had to go through Qualifier 2 to the final where they lost to MI again like in Qualifier 1.
2016
Gujarat Lions finished atop but lost both Qualifier 1 and Qualifier 2.
2017
Mumbai Indians finished at the top, but lost Qualifier 1. They entered the final through Q2 and eventually won the title.
2018
SRH finished on top of the points table, by a fraction of net run rate, but lost Qualifier 1, played Qualifier 2 and made the final where they lost to CSK.
2019
Mumbai Indians finished atop, won the Qualifier 1 and then went on to win the final.
2020
Mumbai Indians topped the points table and made it to the final through Qualifier 1. Will they repeat their 2019 feat on 10 November?