Mumbai Indians were left with drooping shoulders after a six-wicket defeat to Delhi Capitals on Sunday afternoon at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
What will hurt more is being outplayed by a 22-year-old from Meerut, Sameer Rizvi, whose stunning 90 came on a surface where MI’s stars struggled. His knock powered DC to a convincing win in their first home game.
Delhi’s two-paced wicket tested the batters from both sides. Those who acted patiently found success, while overly aggressive approaches backfired. In the battle of two heavyweights, Delhi Capitals clearly excelled in reading the conditions, and Sameer Rizvi showcased exactly how to do it.
The 22-year-old picked up from where he left off in Lucknow. Delhi once again lost KL Rahul early in the chase,
while Nitish Rana, playing his first season for DC, was run out in what was a case of hara-kiri. However, Pathum Nissanka and Rizvi ensured stability amid the early setbacks, adding 66 runs off 49 deliveries for the third wicket.
Nissanka’s dismissal in the 10th over gave Mumbai hope, but Rizvi left no stone unturned to shatter it. The Uttar Pradesh youngster shifted gears instantly, showing no mercy to Corbin Bosch. He smashed two boundaries and as many sixes in the 11th over, making it the most expensive of the game.
Coming in as an Impact Substitute for Mukesh Kumar, Rizvi single-handedly neutralised the demons in the pitch, bringing up his second consecutive fifty of the season in style — dancing down the track to smash Mayank Markande over wide long-off. On a track where Mumbai batters gasped for breath, the 22-year-old produced a batting masterclass against the likes of Mitchell Santner, Shardul Thakur, and Deepak Chahar.
Talk about the array of shots that can be played in a T20 game — and Rizvi had it all. With 7 sixes and as many fours, the right-hand batter registered his best score of 90 off 51, ensuring DC’s second consecutive win in the season.
Mumbai’s decision to bat first visibly backfired. DC’s disciplined bowling unit maintained control, especially at the death, preventing Mumbai from building any meaningful partnerships.
Once again, Rohit Sharma’s experience came into play. After losing Ryan Rickelton and Tilak Varma in quick succession, the former MI skipper opted for a calculated approach — respect the tricky deliveries and punish the loose ones. After hitting four boundaries off Lungi Ngidi in the Powerplay, the ‘Hitman‘ hammered the first six of the game off Vipraj Nigam, while his partner, Suryakumar Yadav, followed with a cracking maximum off his counterpart, Axar Patel.
Rohit and Surya forged a fifty-run stand for the third wicket, but just when Mumbai appeared to be taking control, the Delhi spinners tightened the noose. Axar dismissed Rohit for 35 off 26 with a slower one, with Nitish Rana pulling off a terrific catch at covers. Vipraj Nigam removed Sherfane Rutherford soon after.
“Looks like a pretty slow wicket. You just got to get in and bide your time in and then try and play some shots because it’s not easy, but I thought we managed to get a decent score on the board,” Rohit said, after sporting the Orange Cap.
A couple of quick wickets then put Suryakumar in focus. Leading in the absence of Hardik Pandya, Surya showcased great temperament, especially against the spinners. He stepped out to smash Kuldeep Yadav for a six down the ground before bringing up his first fifty this season. In fact, 41 of his 51 runs against DC came against the tweakers.
The stand-in skipper looked to shift gears alongside Naman Dhir, smashing 17 runs in the 15th over bowled by Kuldeep. But just as Surya completed his fifty, Ngidi trapped him in front. MI struggled from there on, adding just 45 runs in the final five overs.
The absence of Pandya and Trent Boult bit the visitors as they appeared completely imbalanced across innings. A couple of early breakthroughs brought them joy, but it turned out to be short-lived.
With a heavy defeat and a lot to improve, the 5-time champions will now fly to Guwahati to face Rajasthan Royals on April 7, while Delhi, soaking up in confidence, will host Shubman Gill’s Gujarat Titans on April 8.
