Dwayne Smith credits Mumbai teammate Sachin Tendulkar for scoring winning runs

Mumbai Indians beat Chennai Super Kings by two wickets before Royal Challengers Bangalore chase down target set by Deccan Chargers.

Dwayne Smith hit 24 runs off just nine balls to lead Mumbai Indians to an unlikely win over Chennai Super Kings last night. Rajanish Kakade / AP Photo

Dwayne Smith spectacularly finished what Sachin Tendulkar started as the Mumbai Indians strengthened their claims to a place in the Indian Premier League knockout stages with a thrilling last-ball victory over the Chennai Super Kings.

The West Indian batsman smashed 14 runs off the last three balls as Mumbai won by two wickets.

Smith scored an unbeaten 24 off nine balls and hit Australia's Ben Hilfenhaus for a straight six and two consecutive boundaries to guide Mumbai Indians to 174 for eight after Super Kings had finished at 173 for eight.

"Take your hats off to Dwayne Smith, it was an amazing innings," said Stephen Fleming, the Chennai coach. "We lost by a small margin. It was a real roller coaster, wasn't it? That's the beauty of IPL. The nature of T20 is the game can be won or lost by an individual. We saw that today."

Smith said: "I just backed myself. I know as long as I can watch the ball I can do it."

Smith also credited Sachin Tendulkar for giving him confidence when he set off to bat at No 6 at the fall of Ambati Rayudu's wicket at 148 in the 18th over.

"He [Tendulkar] said the wicket was good. He told me to back myself and he was true, it paid off. It's a big win and we really deserved it as well," he said.

Tendulkar (74) and Rohit Sharma (60) had kept Mumbai on course with a 126-run second wicket stand off 81 balls before Super Kings hit back strongly and took seven wickets for 25 runs.

Mumbai looked to be coasting to victory when Tendulkar hit 11 boundaries and a six in his 44-ball knock, taking the home team to 134 in the 16th over.

Faf du Plessis plucked a brilliant one-handed catch to dismiss Tendulkar and ignite an astonishing collapse.

Ravindra Jadeja bowled Ambati Rayudu and Rohit in the 18th over before Robin Petersen was run out by Du Plessis and Harbhajan Singh then holed out at long-off. Hilfenhaus bowled Lasith Malinga to make it 159 for eight but could not stop Smith from hitting the three crucial blows.

Earlier, Super Kings' opening batsman Murali Vijay (41) and Dwayne Bravo (40) were the top run scorers before Malinga (three for 25) struck three late blows. Vijay hit Munaf Patel for 22 runs in one over before he was bowled by RP Singh in the sixth over.

The victory kept Mumbai in third while the Super Kings are fourth.

The Deccan Chargers remained bottom of the table after an astonishing late onslaught led by AB de Villiers earned the Royal Challengers Bangalore victory at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Deccan posted a total of 181 for two in their 20 overs, Shikhar Dhawan leading the way with 73 not out from 52 balls.

The opening batsman hit 10 fours and a six and put on 86 with Daniel Harris (47) and 82 with Cameron White, who smashed 45 from 24 balls with two fours and three sixes.

Bangalore’s reply started well as Tillakaratne Dilshan, with 71 from 54 balls, dominated an opening stand of 91 with Chris Gayle.

But that came to an end in the 11th over and the hosts slumped to 117 for four in the 16th before Mayank Agarwal got the chase back on track with a cameo of 18 from six balls, featuring two sixes.

De Villiers battered them over the winning line, finishing unbeaten on 47 from just 17 remarkable deliveries including five fours and three maximums.

He was particularly severe on fellow South African international Dale Steyn who he hit for two sixes and two fours in his third over. The paceman, who has had a mixed season at the IPL so far, ended with figures of none for 30.

The win lifts Bangalore to fifth spot in the IPL table.

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