The Mumbai Indians are finally off the mark in this year's Tata IPL, registering their first win with a 29-run victory against the Delhi Capitals at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, in Sunday's early game. Chasing 235 to win after the Indians had smashed a more than challenging 234-5, the Capitals could only reach 205-8, losing three wickets in four balls in the final over as they attempted what became an unlikely win.
Despite fifties from opener Prithvi Shaw with 66 from 40 balls (8x4, 3x6) and a a blistering 71 not out from just 25 balls (3x4, 7x6) from South African Tristan Stubbs, which included his fifty from 19 balls, plus a useful 41 from Abishek Poral, there was not much else from the Capitals with the bat, although they will be encouraged in posting beyond 200 runs in their effort.
For most of their innings, the Capitals were not too far off the pace in comparison to the Indians as a second-wicket partnership of 88 between Shaw and Porel kept them in the game. However, the Indians kept striking back, taking wickets just as it looked as though the Capitals might put their foot on the pedal and, in the end, it all came down to the final over in the Indian's innings, which saw West Indian Romario Shepherd smash South African speedster Anrich Nortje for 32 - 4, 6, 6, 6, 4, 6 - on his way to an unbeaten 39 from a mere 10 balls.
Asked to bat after the Capitals won the toss, Indian openers Rohit Sharma (49) and Ishan Kishan (42) took the attack to the Capitals' bowlers, smashing 75-0 in the opening six-over powerplay, the sixth-highest powerplay total in IPL history. However, once the partnership was broken at 80 after seven overs, the Indians lost four wickets for 56 runs in the next five overs.
A 60-run partnership for the fifth wicket between captain Hardik Pandya (39) and Australian Tim David (45 not out) provided the platform for the late fireworks, with David and Shepherd adding an undefeated 53 runs for the sixth wicket off only 13 balls. The Indians' total was the highest in men's T20 cricket without an individual 50, with Sharma's 49 the best effort.
None of the six Capitals bowlers had figures to be proud of, four of them going at 10 or more runs to the over, success coming to Axar Patel (2-35), Nortje (2-65) and Khaleel Ahmed (1-39).
With ball in hand, the best of the Indians bowlers was South Africa's Gerald Coetzee whose three wickets in the final over saw him end with an impressive 4/34 in his four overs, supported by the ever-consistent Jasprit Bumrah (2-22) in his four-over spell and Man of the Match Shepherd (1-54).
The win by the Indians sees them move to eight on the points table, while the Capitals are at the bottom.
MUMBAI INDIANS: Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (capt), Tim David, Mohammad Nabi, Romario Shepherd, Piyush Chawla, Gerald Coetzee, Jasprit Bumrah
DELHI CAPITALS: Prithvi Shaw, David Warner, Abhishek Porel, Rishabh Pant (wk and capt), Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel, Lalit Yadav, Jhye Richardson, Anrich Nortje, Ishant Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed