Mumbai Indians handed Delhi Capitals only their second loss of the season in a closely-contested Indian Premier League match on Sunday, 11 October.
Choosing to bat first, Shreyas Iyer-led DC were restricted to 162/4 wickets in 20 overs at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
In response, the bowlers took the game deep in the run chase, but Rohit Sharma’s Mumbai eventually reached their target with five wickets in hand and two balls remaining.
Here’s a look at five big moments from the match that helped Mumbai Indians replace Delhi Capitals at the top of the IPL 2020 points table.
1. Shreyas-Shikhar Steady Innings After Two Early Wickets
Choosing to bat first, Delhi Capitals were off to a disappointing start with opener Prithvi Shaw falling for 4 on the third ball of the game.
Ajinkya Rahane, included in the side due to an injured Rishabh Pant, hit three boundaries and added 20 runs with opener Shikhar Dhawan before falling to Krunal Pandya for a 15-ball 15. At the end of the six Powerplay overs, MI had restricted Delhi to 46/2.
Skipper Shreyas Iyer then joined Dhawan at the crease, and the duo steadied Delhi’s innings with an 85-run partnership.
Trent Boult eventually gave Mumbai a breakthrough by removing Iyer for 42 (off 33 balls) which included five boundaries.
2. Dhawan Scores 69*, But MI Keep Pressure On
Shikhar Dhawan scored a half-century off 39 balls – his first fifty this season and 38th overall in the league. He added another 21 runs with Marcus Stoinis (8-ball 13) and stitched an unbeaten 32-run stand with Alex Carey (9-ball 14).
Dhawan batted through the innings and remained not out on 69 (off 52 balls), but the Mumbai Indians bowlers kept the pressure on, not letting Delhi accelerate their innings.
Krunal Pandya returned with 2/26 and Boult (1/36) picked up one scalp while Jasprit Bumrah also bowled an economical spell, giving away 26 runs in his four overs.
3. Quinton de Kock’s Blitzkrieg
After captain Rohit Sharma fell for a 12-ball 5 in the fifth over, his fellow opener Quinton de Kock got the scoreboard ticking.
The South African wicketkeeper-batsman smashed his 12th IPL fifty and second this season off 33 deliveries. He added 36 runs with Suryakumar Yadav before de Kock was caught out by Shaw off a delivery by Ashwin for 53 (off 36 balls).
4. Suryakumar Scores Quickfire 53
Yadav, who scored a match-winning 79* in their previous game, then carried the innings forward and smashed a half-century off 30 deliveries – his ninth IPL fifty and second this season. He added 59 runs with Ishan Kishan and looked set to take Mumbai over the line. However, Rabada had other plans, and removed the 30-year-old for 53 off 32 balls, which featured six boundaries and a six.
With this wicket, MI were reduced to 130/3, still needing 33 off 30 balls.
5. Two More Wickets Fall, But Pollard-Krunal Wrap Up Win
One ball after Yadav, Hardik Pandya fell for duck. Kishan (15-ball 28) smashed a six off Rabada in the next over but fell on the following delivery after Axar took a diving catch at deep cover.
From 10 required off 12 balls, Anrich Nortje bowled a brilliant penultimate over, giving away just 3 runs. Mumbai were left needing 7 runs off the last six balls. Two singles and two boundaries courtesy Pollard and Krunal Pandya took Mumbai Indians home as the defending champions registered their fifth win this season.
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