After the defending champions opted to bat, Delhi Capitals’ (DC) Amit Mishra (4/24) spun his web around the Mumbai Indians’ (MI) batsmen, limiting them to a sub-par 137 for 9. DC held their nerves in the final overs to chase down the mark with five balls to spare, thanks to opener Shikhar Dhawan’s 45 off 42 balls. It was their first victory over MI in five meetings, after losing four times in the UAE last season. DC missed opener Prithvi Shaw (7) early in the game when he gave a return catch to Jayant Yadav (1/25). Dhawan began with a short cut for a boundary.
Steve Smith (33) joined him in reviving the innings by scoring 53 runs for the second wicket. As Delhi were 39 for one after six innings, the two kept the scoreboard ticking by scoring the odd boundaries.
Smith was the aggressor, hitting two fours off Krunal Pandya in the ninth over, but a lapse in concentration saw him caught in the hut by Kieron Pollard in the tenth over.
Dhawan struck five fours and a six, though Lalit Yadav (22 not out) held Delhi in contention. With DC needing 48 runs from the final six innings, Dhawan smashed a six and four to reach 100 before succumbing to Krunal Pandya’s diving catch in the deep in the 15th over.
With DC still needing 23 runs, skipper Rishabh Pant (7) also dropped cheaply. The side was then taken home by Yadav and West Indian Shimron Hetmyer (14 not out). Hetmyer cut Kieron Pollard on the first ball of the final over to put his side on the verge of a victory, but the game was called when the bowler overstepped next.
MI had earlier suffered a middle-order collapse on a slow Chepauk track after being 67 for 2 at one point, as DC, led by Mishra, staged a stunning comeback.
MI lost opener Quinton De Kock (1) early in the third over, when he edged a Marcus Stoinis (1/20) delivery to Pant.
Suryakumar Yadav (24) then entered Rohit Sharma (44), who hit his first boundary in the third over with an elegant drive that raced to the deep extra cover fence. With a 58-run outburst, the pair brought the innings to a close. In the fourth over, Rohit faced ace off-spinner Ravichandra Ashwin (0/30) and scored 15 runs.
The MI captain hit a boundary and a maximum – a loft over extra cover – while Suryakumar hit a boundary through an outside edge. Kagiso Rabada (1/25) was then struck for a six over long-off by Rohit.
MI sped to 55 for one after six innings, thanks to Suryakumar’s consecutive fours off Mishra. The defending champions, on the other hand, were held at bay by DC, who took three fast wickets.
As MI slipped to 77 for 4, Avesh Khan (2/15) dismissed Surya, who nicked one to Pant, and Mishra eliminated Rohit and Hardik Pandya (0) in the ninth over. Both Rohit and Hardik hunkered down early on.
Krunal Pandya (1) chopped an under-cutting arm ball by Lalit Yadav (1/17) onto his stumps, dismissing half of MI’s side for 81 runs.
As MI was teetering at 84 for six, Mishra used his googly to catch Kieron Pollard (2) in front of the wicket.
In the end, a solid 26 from Ishan Kishan, who became Mishra’s fourth wicket, and Jayant Yadav’s 23 helped the team pass the 125-run mark.