Suryakumar helps Mumbai crush Delhi to clinch playoff berth
Mumbai join Gujarat Titans, Royal Challengers and Punjab Kings for the battle
MUMBAI: Suryakumar Yadav's unbeaten 73 and a late blitz by Naman Dhir powered Mumbai Indians into the Indian Premier League playoffs with a 59-run hammering of Delhi Capitals on Wednesday. In a two-way battle with Delhi for one play-off spot, Mumbai posted 180-5 and then bowled out the opposition for 121 in their home at the Wankhede Stadium. Mumbai's New Zealand spinner Mitchell Santner returned figures of 3-11 from his four overs. Pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah also took three wickets.
'I can throw them (Santner and Bumrah) the ball whenever I want,' Mumbai skipper Hardik Pandya said. 'They bring such control and perfection, which makes my job easy.'
Five-time champions Mumbai have joined Gujarat Titans, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings as the top four teams that will battle for the title in the playoffs starting May 29.
Delhi still have a match to go but can now only reach 15 points, while Mumbai have 16 points with one more game to play. Mumbai turned around their fortunes midway through the season after they started with four losses in their first five matches. They now count seven victories in their last eight outings.
The final few games in the group phase will decide the play-off standings as the top two teams will have the advantage of having two shots at reaching the final on June 3.
Put into bat, Mumbai recovered from a top-order wobble, including home hero Rohit Sharma falling for five, to bounce back in the second half of the innings.
India's T20 skipper Suryakumar stood firm in his 43-ball knock laced with seven fours and four sixes, and Dhir boosted the total in his unbeaten eight-ball 24. Dhir hammered Mukesh Kumar for two fours and two sixes in a 27-run 19th over and Suryakumar then took on Sri Lankan quick Dushmantha Chameera to finish off with 21 runs in the 20th.
'Let it slip'
'We let it slip in the last two overs,' said Delhi's stand-in skipper Faf du Plessis, who led after regular captain Axar Patel fell ill.
'Momentum is a real thing in cricket. The way they counter-punched to get almost 50 in the last two overs, undoing the work of the first 17-18 overs. We lost that momentum.'
Du Plessis said the team missed their Australian import Mitchell Starc, who did not return after the IPL resumed following the pause due to the conflict between India and Pakistan.
The IPL restarted last Saturday with a revised schedule, which has forced overseas players to revisit their season plans. Tilak Varma contributed with 27 in a 55-run partnership with Suryakumar to lift Mumbai after their top three departed early.
Rohit fell to Mustafizur Rahman in the third over, and was soon followed back into the clubhouse by Will Jacks and Ryan Rickelton. Rohit, who was recently honoured by having a stand in the stadium named after him, had some of his fans wearing whites in a tribute to the former captain's recent Test retirement.
Delhi were never in the chase after Du Plessis fell for six in the second over. Former New Zealand international Trent Boult raised the noise of the home crowd when he got the in-form KL Rahul caught behind for 11 and soon Jacks sent back Abishek Porel for a single figures score. Wickets kept tumbling and Santner took two in one over to flatten the opposition batting, which lasted for just 18.2 overs. — AFP
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