Right then, that is all from this game but the action in the Indian T20 League isn't over yet, not by any means. It is a doubleheader Saturday and the second match of the day is underway with Lucknow taking on Rajasthan and Lucknow are batting first in that game. You can simply switch tabs and catch our coverage of that game. Cheers!
Jake Fraser-McGurk is the Player of the Match for his spectacular knock. Jake says that he was pretty7 nervous going up against Bumrah and was watching his footage but reckons when you are out there, it all goes out of the way and it is just about watching the ball and hitting and adds that it is good testing yourself against the best in the world. Menti0ons that when he is not watching the ball properly, he isn't able to time the ball well and says that his form is good for him and the team and they have confidence in him batting up the order. Adds from the outside also you can see the level of the competition and how it is more competitive than other tournaments.
Rishabh Pant, Delhi's skipper says that they were happy with the score. Adds that the Impact player rule is making it difficult for the teams. Mentions that the bowler needs to be comfortable with the keeper coming up to the stumps. It was to stop Tim David from getting out of the crease and it helped them. Lauds Jake Fraser-McGurk who has been amazing for the squad and he is getting better each day. Ends by saying that they are not thinking too ahead and taking one game at a time.
Earlier in the game, Hardik Pandya won the toss and opted to bowl first and this decision back-fired immediately as Jake Fraser-McGurk went into overdrive mode and smashed the Mumbai bowlers, along with Jasprit Bumrah as Delhi scored 92 runs in the first 6 overs. Mumbai did get some control back once Jake got out as Abishek Porel couldn't quite kick on but Shai Hope played a fine cameo of 41 runs from 17 balls to keep the scoring rate high. Rishabh Pant wasn't at his best but got some useful runs and it was Tristan Stubbs who is having a fine season who propelled Delhi over the 250-run mark. Even after getting hit for 18 runs in his first over, Bumrah came back really strong and went for 17 runs in his next 3 overs. Apart from him and Piyush Chawla, everyone else was punished with skipper Hardik Pandya and Luke Wood really taking a whacking. In the chase, Delhi kept their noses ahead all throughout and just when it became really close at the death, they were able to get the wickets and won the game by 10 runs.
Rasikh Dar, one of the stars of Delhi's win is down for a chat. He says that the wicket was flat but they were ready for the challenge. Adds that he is playing to the team’s demand and trying to fulfil the role. Says that he aims to be confident and back his skills. Mentions that they plan during the game and in the game on what to bowl and it helps them. Closes by saying that getting the keeper up to the stumps in the 18th over was a smart move and it worked for them.
Hardik Pandya, the captain of Mumbai says that the game is getting a lot closer and the competition is top-notch. Adds that they had the belief to chase it down and backed themselves. Shares that a couple of overs in the middle were slow and that they should have taken a few more chances. Lauds Jake Fraser-McGurk who played a calculated innings and was smart in the approach. Ends by saying that he wouldn’t have changed his decision at the toss.
Mumbai needed 258 runs for the win and got off to a quick start in the first two overs after which they lost Rohit Sharma and when the Powerplay ended, they had lost their top three batters for 65 runs. Tilak Varma however took the reigns and along with skipper Hardik Pandya launched a counterattack. Pandya went berserk in one over from Kuldeep Yadav and injected momentum into the chase before he was eventually caught out. Varma kept on pressing and brought up a half-century before Tim David went ballistic and gave Mumbai a real shot at victory. However, he got out in the 18th over leaving Varma still quite a bit to do. Varma took the game into the final over but got run out and Mumbai were handed yet another defeat and they are now looking more and more out of the playoff race but still have five games to play.
Delhi just had that bit more and those early wickets were really the telling factor in this game. Lizaad Williams showed great signs in the very first over but was a bit wayward after which Khaleel Ahmed sent back Rohit Sharma in the third over, opening the doors for his side. Mukesh Kumar got Ishan Kishan off his first delivery and then Khaleel got the big wicket of Suryakumar Yadav in the final over of the Powerplay. However, a rare thing happened as Kuldeep Yadav was put away by Mumbai and failed to get into the game at all. Delhi's Impact Player on the other hand, Rasikh Dar made more than just an impact as he finished with 3 wickets and bowled a couple of crucial overs atn the death, especially the penultimate over. In the end, Mukesh was able to hold his nerve and get his side over the ropes.
Pheww! Yet another high-scoring encounter in the Indian T20 League and it went right down to the wire but in the end, it is a resurgent Delhi who have won the game and have made it 4 wins out of the last 5 matches. Delhi also avenge the defeat they suffered at the hands of Mumbai in the reverse fixture at the Wankhede Stadium. Also, once again the match total surpassed 500 runs and is the highest aggregate T20 total at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
In over# 20
0W
4
1
6
2
1W
Mukesh Kumar 59/3(4)
19.6
W
OUT! CAUGHT! Mukesh Kumar finishes with three-wickets and Delhi win by 10 runs in a nail-biting finish at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Full toss on the middle stump line. Piyush Chawla miscues the loft toward the long-on region. Shai Hope completes the catch and Delhi have two more points in the bag. This was referred for a waist-high no-ball by Chawla but the third-umpire checked the replay and called it a fair ball. A nervy win but Delhi will take it with both hands. Delhi climb to number 5 in the table.
19.5
4
FOUR! Piyush Chawla is not giving up without a fight. Bowls it full and outside off. Chawla lifts it over the cover fielder and it runs away to the ropes for four runs.
19.4
1
Pitched full and at the stumps. Drilled to long-on for just a single. 15 needed off 2 now. Barring a wide or no-ball, this is Delhi's game.
19.3
6
SIX! CLUBBED! Short of a length, around off. Luke Wood nails it and pulls it over the deep mid-wicket boundary for a maximum.
19.2
2
In the air and safe! Knuckle ball on the middle stump line. Luke Wood heaves it high in the air toward the mid-wicket region. Jake Fraser-McGurk runs in from the boundary but fails to take the catch.
Luke Wood is the new batter in.
19.1
W
OUT! RUN OUT! Huge wicket for Delhi. Slower length ball on the middle and leg stump line. Tilak Varma miscues the heave to the deep square leg region and calls for the second. Sumit Kumar, the substitute fielder, throws it from the deep and Rishabh Pant does the rest. Tilak Varma puts the dive but is well short of his crease and Mumbai are eight down!
Is that a runout? Looks like it and Tilak Varma is distraught. No need to go upstairs as the onfield umpire has raised the finger. Gun arm from the substitute fielder Sumit Kumar.
Who will bowl the final over? Will it be death-over specialist Mukesh Kumar or Lizaad Williams? It will be the experienced Mukesh. Tilak Varma on strike, can Mukesh defend 24 runs? Not as easy as it seems.