Image Credit- BCCI
The Mumbai Indians beat the Delhi Capitals by 29 runs at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai to finally open their account in the IPL 2024 after losing the first three games.
Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan gave Mumbai an 80-run lead in seven overs after being sent in. The Mumbai team shot up to 234 for five as the Capitals mounted a rally in the middle overs. Tim David (45* off 21) and Romario Shepherd (39* off 10) struck 96 in the final five overs, with Shepherd hitting Anrich Nortje for 32 in the 20th over.
Mumbai knew they needed to score big at the Wankhede because of the tiny boundaries and flat pitch, and Rohit and Kishan set the ideal stage for that.
In the seamer’s opening two overs, Kishan struck three fours against Khaleel Ahmed. Rohit blasted Ishant Sharma for two consecutive fours from the opposite end. Against Jhye Richardson, he elevated his game by hitting him for two consecutive sixes.
Looking to his spinners, Rishabh Pant turned. But by now, Rohit had gone into overdrive. He struck four fours and a six against Axar Patel and Lalit Yadav in the following nine balls. After six overs, Mumbai was at 75 for no loss and he was at 49 off 23 balls.
Axar’s dismissal of Rohit helped the Capitals mount a comeback after the pitch limitations were loosened. Rohit came out of his crease for the final ball of the seventh over, but Axar bowled it quickly and short to beat the hitter and rattle his stumps.
Nortje thwarted Suryakumar Yadav’s comeback in the following over. After greeting him with a fiery yorker at the crease, Nortje had him caught at mid-on for a two-ball duck.
Ishan Kishan, who had just hit a six off the previous delivery, hammered the next ball to the left of Axar, who reached out to make an incredible return catch. Only 63 runs could be scored by Mumbai in the nine overs that followed the powerplay.
After 15 overs, Mumbai were 138 for 4. In the 16th over, David struck Richardson for a six. He struck two more sixes in the next two overs, and Hardik added one as well, but Shepherd was the one who caused more damage. He destroyed Nortje for 4, 6, 6, 6, 4, 6 in the 20th over, crushing the spirits of the Capitals.
Shaw started out slowly. He was on 13 off 15 after four overs, but he quickly rediscovered his range. He struck Piyush Chawla for six, four, and four off consecutive deliveries in the eighth over. After hitting Gerald Coetzee for a four, he reached his half-century off of 31 balls. In the eleventh over, Shaw led the Capitals above 100, but Bumrah concluded his innings on 66.
Stubbs didn’t take long to get going. He hit Chawla for a six off the third ball he faced, and three balls later he replicated the feat over deep midwicket. Pant fell cheaply and Bumrah removed Porel for 41 off 31, but Stubbs persevered.
At the beginning of the 19th, Stubbs smacked two sixes off of Shepherd, and he finished with another six. However, the Capitals were left requiring 34 from six balls due to a lack of support from the opposing end. As Coetzee got stranded at the non-striker’s end, he only let up four runs while also taking three wickets.