IPL 2024, MI vs DC: Mumbai finally off the mark, defend 234 vs struggling Delhi

Delhi are the new cellar dwellers of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 after they lost to Mumbai by 29 runs on Sunday, April 7 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

MI, on the other hand, snapped their 3-match losing streak and Hardik Pandya would have heaved a sigh of relief after winning his first match as the skipper of the high-profile IPL franchise. MI started the match with a net run rate of -1.423, but improved it to -0.704.

DC beat defending champions Chennai by 20 runs in Visakhapatnam, but the 106-run loss at the hands of Kolkata pushed them back significantly. Their bowlers looked at sea against Mumbai, who racked up a huge score of 234 for 5 after being put in to bat first.

Rohit Sharma (49) and Ishan Kishan (42) laid the platform for Mumbai with a partnership of 80 runs off 7 overs. Suryakumar Yadav, who returned after recovering from injury, could not open his account as Nortje accounted for his wicket. Nortje also dismissed Hardik Pandya, but finished with figures of 4-0-65-2. In the last 2 matches, the speedster picked up 5 wickets, but leaked 124 runs at an economy rate of 15.50.

Nortje was taken to the cleaners by Romario Shepherd in the last ball of the MI innings. Shepherd raced his way to scoring 39 runs off 10 balls as Nortje leaked 32 runs in the last over. Tim David also unleashed his power-hitting skills as he stayed not out on 45 off 21 in an unbeaten partnership of 53 runs with Shepherd.

Hardik kept the scoreboard ticking in the middle overs with a knock of 39 off 33 balls with 3 fours and a six. Axar Patel was arguably the standout batter for Delhi after he finished with figures of 4-0-35-2.

Shaw, Stubbs’ efforts in vain

Delhi did not make the best of starts to their run-chase as David Warner perished in the quest to up the ante. He hit a four and a six before Shepherd pinned him. Abhishek Porel was promoted up the order to No.3, and he did a reasonable job after scoring 41 runs off 31 balls.

Prithvi Shaw, in the meantime, got to his maiden IPL fifty this season off 31 balls. He went on to score 66 runs off 40 balls before being castled by an absolute beauty from Jasprit Bumrah. Later, Bumrah dismissed Porel to become the third fastest to the landmark of 150 wickets in the IPL. Bumrah also became the second Indian pacer after Bhuvneshwar Kumar to the milestone.

Rishabh Pant batted at No.5, but failed to make an impact after Gerald Coetzee dismissed him. Tristan Stubbs was at his very best, but his efforts fell short of taking DC past the finish line. The South African youngster got to his half-century off 19 balls, but the required run rate kept climbing.

Stubbs scored 71 runs off 25 balls with 3 fours and 7 sixes and played at a strike-rate of 284, but DC only finished with 205 for 8. Coetzee was the pick of the MI bowlers after he finished with figures of 4-0-34-4. With the win, MI moved to 8th in the points table.