One feels for the Mumbai Indians. For the third match in a row in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018, the Rohit Sharma-led team lost a thriller. This was another last ball loss for MI after they underwent the same against Sunrisers Hyderabad. That, in turn, handed a remarkable win for Delhi Daredevils at the Wankhede in match No. 9 on Saturday.
Jason Roy’s unbeaten 91 and chief contributions from Rishabh Pant (47) and Shreyas Iyer (27*) helped Gautam Gambhir’s team win at Mumbai’s backyard. DD opened their account in IPL 2018 after earlier having lost both their matches. Jasprit Bumrah and Mustafizur Rahman pulled back the strings in the final two overs, but DD kept a calm head to go past the line.
The @DelhiDaredevils have done it, as they beat #MumbaiIndians by 7 wickets #MIvDD #VIVOIPL pic.twitter.com/pIH9li379G
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 14, 2018
Earlier, MI ended at 194/7 after 20 overs and what looked like at least a 220+ run mark, credit should be given to DD for fighting back hard. Suryakumar Yadav and Evin Lewis added a 102-run stand for the first wicket, but after that regular wickets hurt MI.
Here we look at the impact player, powerful performer and key moments of the game.
Impact Player of the day: Suryakumar Yadav
The ploy of sending Suryakumar to open the innings worked for skipper Rohit Sharma. The former KKR player was sound and justified his tag of being a busy and a cheeky player. His off and straight drives were blended with finesse. The last moment uppercut of Trent Boult was the highlight of Surya’s innings, who took DD by surprise and was supported well by partner Lewis.
Surya has been in form with some contributions in the earlier matches, but on Saturday he grabbed his opportunity and staked a claim to be a regular opener as the season progresses. His 32-ball 53 that included seven fours and a six helped us in choosing him as the impact player of the day.
Powerful Performer of the day: Jason Roy
England’s whirlwind batsman Jason Roy marked his announcement with a brilliant match-winning half-century to see his side get past the line. Roy replaced Colin Munro in the opening position and justified his selection in the team. He batted throughout the DD innings which showed his sense of responsibility.
Roy blasted the Mumbai bowlers all around the park. Although he had a fair share of luck, he made the most out of it. His boundary scoring shots were magnificent. Roy hit the winning runs after a 53-ball 91. DD needed 11 runs off the last over and Roy hit four and six to start the onslaught. In the final ball, he handed DD a well-deserved victory.
His innings was laced with six fours and six sixes.
The key moment of the day
The 102-opening run stand between Suryakumar Yadav and Evin Lewis for Mumbai Indians was a top-notch effort. The duo batted extremely well to start with playing a lot straighter and as the match progressed, the boundaries started to flow in. In no time, MI reached 84 runs in the power play overs.
The whirlwind hitting in the first six overs ensured that the hosts scored their highest ever score in the power play in the history of the tourney. The pair scored in double figures in each of the six overs to decimate DD bowlers on a sunny afternoon at the Wankhede.
Their partnership laid the key foundation in the innings and it helped MI to build on from there on, although DD hit back with a flurry of wickets in the end. DD picked five wickets in a space of 21 runs and did not allow MI to get past the 200-run mark. MI’s start and DD’s finish collectively was our pick for the key moment of the day.