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Mumbai Indians win, Jonny Bairstow shines, quiet time for Ben Stokes - what happened in IPL 2019?

Watch the first game of the 2020 IPL between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings live on Sky Sports on Saturday

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Watch every match of the 2020 IPL live on Sky Sports from September 19, with Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings kicking off the tournament.

How much do you remember about the 2019 Indian Premier League? If the answer is 'not much' then don't worry.

With the 2020 tournament - rescheduled from earlier in the year and now being staged in the UAE due to the coronavirus pandemic - starting on Sky Sports on Saturday, now is the perfect time to refresh your memory.

Live IPL: MI v CSK

From the star performers to the biggest disappointments, we look back on the 2019 edition of the IPL…

Who won in 2019?

Mumbai Indians finished top of the league standings and beat defending champions Chennai Super Kings by one run in a thrilling final.

CSK needed nine runs off the last over to win, but Shane Watson was run out off the fourth ball and then Lasith Malinga finished with a wicket as Mumbai squeaked home.

Mumbai have now won four of the last seven editions of the IPL, although they have never defended their title.

David Warner
Image: David Warner was the leading run-scorer in the 2019 IPL

Delhi Capitals (previously named the Daredevils) and Sunrisers Hyderabad also qualified for the play-offs after the eight-team regular season.

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Delhi beat Sunrisers in a tense elimination game, but then lost to CSK in the final play-off match.

Who came up short?

For the second time in the last three seasons, Royal Challengers Bangalore finished bottom.

Captain Virat Kohli was criticised before a ball had been bowled by former India team-mate Gautam Gambhir, who said Kohli "should be thankful to the franchise for still retaining him as the skipper despite poor results".

Kohli responded in sort by leading the team with 464 runs, but there were still questions over his position as captain as RCB won just five matches.

Virat Kohli, India captain after the Cricket World Cup semi-final defeat to New Zealand at Old Trafford
Image: Will Virat Kohli's RCB be any better in 2020?

RCB are yet to win the IPL, finishing as runners-up on three occasions.

Another captain who came under scrutiny was Kings XI Punjab skipper Ravichandran Ashwin.

Kings XI, who have former England coach Andy Flower as their assistant coach in 2020, won four of their first six games, but then spiralled down the table with six defeats in their next seven.

Ashwin has left Kings XI to join Delhi Capitals and has been replaced as captain by KL Rahul.

Who were the top performers?

David Warner won the Orange Cap (awarded to the leading run scorer) for the third time.

The Sunrisers Hyderabad opener blazed 692 runs at a remarkable average of 69.20, including eight half-centuries in 12 innings.

Andre Russell - IPL - KKR (Credit: AFP)
Image: Andre Russell was a six machine for Kolkata (Credit: AFP)

Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Andre Russell was named the most valuable player after scoring 510 runs and taking 11 wickets.

He also smashed 52 sixes - the second-highest total in IPL history behind Chris Gayle's 59 in 2012.

Gayle himself was back in form last year, recording his highest run total in four seasons after moving from RCB to Kings XI Punjab.

Six appeal

Mumbai Indians' Kieron Pollard hit the most sixes in an innings in IPL 2019, hitting 10 over the rope as he blazed 83 runs in 31 balls against King's XI Punjab.

Jonny Bairstow hit the highest individual score as he smashed 114 from 56 balls in a mammoth opening stand with Warner.

Chennai Super Kings spinner Imran Tahir led the way on the wicket front with 28 in 17 matches at an economy rate of 6.6

Imran Tahir IPL 2019
Image: Imran Tahir was the leading wicket-taker in IPL 2019

Kagiso Rabada also impressed with 25 wickets in just 12 matches, while leg spinner Shreyas Gopal was one of the surprise packages of the 2019 edition, taking 20 wickets for Rajasthan Royals at an economy rate of 7.20.

How did the England players fare?

No England players completed the full complement of games at last year's IPL as they returned home early to prepare for the World Cup.

The three biggest losses for their teams were Jos Buttler, Bairstow and Moeen Ali.

Bairstow formed a formidable partnership with Warner at the top of the order for Sunrisers Hyderabad, blasting 445 runs at an average of 55.62 and a strike rate of 157.

The duo recorded the highest first-wicket partnership in IPL history as they scored 185 in Sunrisers' biggest-ever total of 231-2.

Jos Buttler of England and Rajasthan Royals poses for a photo on March 18, 2019 in Hammersmith, England.
Image: Jos Buttler scored 311 runs in eight matches for Rajasthan Royals in 2019

Buttler was also impressive for Rajasthan Royals, scoring 311 runs in eight matches before departing to be with his wife for the birth of their first child.

Ali scored 220 runs at a strike-rate of 165.41 for RCB and took six wickets at an average of 28.16. He was praised for his game-changing ability by Kohli after smashing 66 off 28 deliveries to help secure a win over Kolkata Knight Riders.

Ben Stokes struggled to make an impact with bat or ball for Rajasthan as he only made 123 runs in nine innings, and took six wickets at an economy rate of 11.22.

Jofra Archer finished in style as he hit 27 off 12 balls to secure victory in his last game for Rajasthan. He also took 11 wickets in 11 games with an economy rate of 6.76.

Watch every match of the 2020 IPL live on Sky Sports Cricket.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Don't miss the start of the Dream11 IPL. It all begins on Saturday when Mumbai take on Chennai at 2.45pm on Sky Sports Cricket.

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