IPL, IPL 2021, Aakash Chopra, Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals
Mumbai Indians storm in the finals [Photo-IPLT20]

A dominating batting display and a masterclass in fast bowling by Jasprit Bumrah [4-14 in 4 overs] has helped defend champions, Mumbai Indians defeat Delhi Capitals in the 1st Qualifier by 57 runs to storm their way into the summit clash of the 2020 IPL.

Chasing 201 to win, Delhi Capitals got off to the worst start they could have ever imagined.  Trent Boult knocked over Prithvi Shaw with a beautiful outswinger for a duck before he brought one back to dismiss Ajinkya Rahane to complete a double-wicket maiden.

Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals
Jasprit Bumrah [Photo-IPLT20]
And, as if the things weren’t bad, Jasprit Bumrah’s brute of an inswinging yorker to dislodge the in-form Dhawan and leave Delhi Capitals reeling at 0-3 after 1.2 overs.

Shreyas Iyer played a few delightful strokes off Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah before one shot proved too many for the DC skipper as he failed to nail the cover-drive to leave his side further in the dumps at 4-20.

Delhi needed a Rishabh Pant (3 off 9 balls) masterclass to get anywhere near the target but it didn’t happen as the southpaw holed out in the deep courtesy a mistimed slog-sweep off Krunal Pandya. DC- 5-41 in 7.5 overs.

Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals
Marcus Stoinis [Photo-IPLT20]
Marcus Stoinis, however, remained unfazed with the carnage around him as he continued to smoke the Mumbai Indians bowlers around the park. The Australian smashed Rahul Chahar for two sixes and a four in the 9th over to bring up Delhi Capitals hundred.

Stoinis completed his 50 in a mere 37 balls courtesy a boundary followed by a single off Krunal in the 13th over as DC reached 5-75. The right-hander continued to lay into Rahul Chahar as he smashed him for a four and a six in the next over before Axar Patel chipped in with a couple of boundaries against the leggie and Nathan Coulter-Nile.

Patel smashed Pollard for two sixes over deep mid-wicket and straight over the latters head to bring up the 100 in the 15th over. With Stoinis and Axar on a rampage and Trent Boult off the field due to groin strain, Rohit Sharma brought Jasprit Bumrah in the attack.

Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals
Jasprit Bumrah [Photo-IPLT20]
And, once again Bumrah delivered as he beat Stoinis with pace to make a mess of his stumps. The champion fast bowler continued to run through the DC batting-unit as he bounced out Daniel Sams to claim his 4th wicket. Kagiso Rabada provided a bit of flourish in the end before the inevitable eventually happened.

Mumbai Indians hammered Delhi Capitals to the tune of 5-200 in 20 overs

Batting first, Quinton de Kock (40 off 25 balls) got Mumbai Indians off to a rollicking start as smashed Daniel Sams for three boundaries in the first over to notch up 15 runs.  Shreyas Iyer introduced Ravichandran Ashwin (3-29 in 4 overs) in the attack and the move worked immediately as the off-spinner pinned Rohit Sharma on the back leg, dismissing the Mumbai Indians skipper for a golden duck.

But the dismissal of Sharma did not have any effect on QDK as he carted Ashwin for yet another boundary. De Kock looked absolutely imperious in his strokeplay as he continued to lead MI’s charge in the powerplay.

Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals
Quinton de Kock and SuryaKumar Yadav [Photo-IPLT20]
SuryaKumar Yadav soon joined the party with an audacious front-foot pull off Anrich Nortje for consecutive boundaries in the 5th over to bring up the teams’ 50. Yadav survived a close caught-behind call on the very next delivery before he smashed Ashwin for a six and a four in the next over to ensure that Mumbai Indians hammered 63 runs in the powerplay.

De Kock and SuryaKumar Yadav continued to attack the spinners after the powerplay. Yadav smashed Patel for a boundary in the 7th over of Axar Patel before De Kock took Ashwin for a six.

Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals
Ravichandran Ashwin [Photo-IPLT20]
But one shot proved to be too many for De Kock as he holed out to Shreyas Iyer while trying to chip Ashwin over his head.

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But SKY continued to pike on the agony on the Delhi Capitals as he complied his 4th 50 of the season with a disdainful flick towards mid-wicket. But Nortje once again had the last laugh as Yadav mistimed the pull shot straight down deep fine-leg’s throat.

Delhi Capitals came back brilliantly after the first powerplay as they gave away just 40 runs in the next 7 overs which included the wickets of De Kock, Suryakumar Yadav, and Kieron Pollard, who fell for a 2-ball 0 after he mistimed a lofted stroke off Ashwin straight to Kagiso Rabada.

Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals
Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya [Photo-IPLT20]
But Ishan Kishan, after having managed just 11 off 14 balls, shifted gears brilliantly as he pulled Rabada for a four and six before nonchalantly flicking Nortje for a six and dabbing him for a boundary in the 16th over. Krunal Pandya too joined the party with a disdainful pull stroke for another six to take the total to 4-140 in 16 overs.

Marcus Stoinis claimed the prized scalp of Kruna Pandya but it really didn’t matter as Hardik Pandya (37* off 14 balls) and Ishan Kishan (55* off 30 balls) just laid into Rabada and Nortje to smoke 60 runs in the last four over to take the total to 200.

 

Here’s how Twitter reacted to MI’s win over DC-

 

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