Axar Patel (17-ball 38 not out) reveals DC’s plan was to target MI bowlers and it worked, leading to four-wicket win over hosts at Brabourne
Lalit Yadav (right) and Axar Patel celebrate DC’s win. Pic/BCCI; IPL
Mumai Indians lost their opening IPL game for the 10th consecutive time (2013 to 2020) when Delhi Capitals stunned them by four wickets with 10 balls to spare at the Brabourne Stadium on Sunday.
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After losing their opener to Royal Challengers in the inaugural edition in 2008, they clinched four consecutive first-game victories before the jinx set in nine years ago.
The Rishabh Pant-led Delhi side were chasing 177-5 and at one stage needed 56 off the last 30 balls, but Lalit Yadav (48 not out in 38 balls, 4x4, 2x6) and Axar Patel (38 not out off 17 balls, 2x4, 3x6) hung around till they secured the win, which looked a convincing one in the end.
DC lose openers early
DC lost openers Prithvi Shaw (38 off 24 balls) and Tim Seifert (21) early. The dismissals of one-drop Mandeep Singh (0), Pant (1) and Rovman Powell (0) left them struggling at 72-5 by the 10th over. But Yadav and Patel looked determined and stitched a 75-run unbeaten stand in just 30 balls to start their IPL season on a winning note.
The 16th over bowled by pacer Jasprit Bumrah (0-43) proved costly as Patel hit a six and then Yadav smashed a four to earn 15 from the over. However, the 18th over bowled by Daniel Sams (0-57) changed the equation in favour of DC as he gave away 24 off six balls. Pacer Basil Thampi and leg-spinner Murugan Ashwin, though, bowled well to claim three and two wickets respectively.
Patel said Yadav and he were confident of chasing the target. “On this wicket, 160-170 was chaseable. When I went in to bat, six overs were left, so the plan was to take it as deep as possible. On this track, accelerating to 10 runs per over was possible. So, we were trying to take it deep and then target the bowlers,” Patel remarked.
‘We pulled things back’
Meanwhile, MI spinner Ashwin said: “Most part of the game was on our side. We pulled things back after those three wickets in the Powerplay. We had the game till about the 14th over. Few things—like closing the over, giving a boundary off the last ball and things like that...[went against us].”
Earlier, put in to bat, MI skipper Rohit Sharma (41 in 32 balls, 4x4, 2x6) and Ishan Kishan (81 not out off just 48 balls, 11x4, 2x6) started off well with a 67-run opening stand in 8.2 overs. Even after Rohit’s departure and though there were hardly any contributions from others except debutant Tilak Varma’s 15-ball 22, Kishan looks determined to live up to the costliest player of IPL-15 tag.
Brief scores
MI 177-5 in 20 overs (I Kishan 81*, Rohit Sharma 41; K Yadav 3-18, K Ahmed 2-27) lost to DC 179-6 in 18.2 overs (L Yadav 48*, A Patel 38*, P Shaw 38; B Thampi 3-35, M Ashwin 2-14) by 4 wickets
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