IPL 2024, MI vs DC: Romario Shepherd & Tim David's late overs blast trumps Tristan Stubbs' brave 71*; Mumbai Indians win first game. Top takeaways for Mumbai and Delhi from the match.
Brief Scores: MI 234/5 (Rohit Sharma 49, Tim David 45*, Axar Patel 2/35) beat DC 205/8 (Tristan Stubbs 71*, Prithvi Shaw 66, Gerald Coetzee 4/34) by 29 runs.
After a lackluster start to their respective campaigns, in a battle of lowly placed teams, hosts Mumbai Indians (MI) took on Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Wankhede. After securing a 29-run win, they eventually became the tenth team to open their account in IPL 2024.
Being inserted into bat, quick-fire 40s each from their opening pair, Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan, followed by a strong finish by Tim David and Romario Shepherd, took MI's total to a monumental 234/5 in their 20 overs.
Chasing a tall target, DC put on a good fight, with Prithvi Shaw and Tristan Stubbs scoring their respective half-centuries. But Bumrah’s stunning spell and wickets towards the end spelled yet another defeat for the visitors.
Key Takeaways from MI vs DC, Match 20, IPL 2024- Winning team (MI)
Shepherd - David’s end overs blast gives a lot of confidence to MI
MI got off to a flying start, with the openers hammering 75 runs in the powerplay phase. On what looked like a great batting wicket, the home team needed to build on the start they got. However, the Hardik Pandya-led side lost their way as they lost 4 wickets in 9 overs with just 61 more runs added to the total.
All hopes were on the powerhouse of a middle-order to provide them with a strong finish, and they got just that. Despite a subdued 33-ball 39, the final 5 overs yielded them 94 runs, largely thanks to stunning cameos from Tim David (45* off 21) and Romario Shepherd (39* off 10). It was David’s assault during his partnership with Pandya that paved the way for MI to go for a launch in the end overs, and Shepherd took it further with his incredible hitting (32 runs) in the final over.
Together, the pair scored 42 runs in the last 8 balls to propel MI to a mighty 234 and gave a much-needed boost for the hosts in their bid to get off the mark this IPL.
Spinners need to be more unpredictable
Though MI won the game, there is still room for improvement, one of which is the return of their spinners. The five-time champs welcomed Mohammad Nabi, but he and Piyush Chawla need to show more control in the middle overs. With the wealth of experience he possesses in IPL, Chawla should be able to stem the flow of runs post the powerplay phase.
In this game, the leg spinner went for 32 in his 2, which eased some pressure off DC in their chase. So, the spinners led by these 2 veterans should exert more control as the team advances in the tournament.
Key Takeaways from MI vs DC, Match 20, IPL 2024- Losing team (DC)
Shaw and Stubbs finding ways to score runs augurs well for DC
Despite losing their 4th match of the season, the Capitals can find solace in the fact that 2 of their prominent batters, Prithvi Shaw and Tristan Stubbs, are in pretty good form. After losing Warner early in the tall run chase, DC got their innings afloat mainly thanks to the effort of Prithvi Shaw, whose knock of 66 much-needed impetus.
Shaw, who didn’t start in the playing XI, played a key role in DC’s only win of the season against CSK, where he scored 43. Now against a decent MI attack after tackling struggling initially, Shaw played a stroke-filled innings, albeit in defeat. This bodes well for the team without Mitchell Marsh at the top.
However, the biggest positive for DC is Tristan Stubbs, whose batting performance keeps improving. Following his 32-ball 54 in the last match against KKR, the South African youngster put on another strong show for the Capitals. His 71* from a mere 25 balls is heartening if you are in the DC camp.
Read More: IPL 2024, DC vs KKR: Narine, Raghuvanshi smother hapless DC into oblivion; KKR jump to top spot
Statistical Highlights for MI vs DC, IPL 2024
Mumbai Indians posted 234/5, which is their third-highest total in IPL history. This was also their second 200+ total this season after 246/5 earlier at Hyderabad against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
MI scored 32 runs in the final over of the innings, the second-most runs scored in the final over of an innings. At the same venue, 37 runs scored by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)in 2021 remain at the top.
In T20 matches, Ishant Sharma has been better than Rohit Sharma when they play against each other. The pacer has taken Rohit Sharma’s wicket in the format, conceding only 56 runs off 46 deliveries.
Tristan Stubbs scored his second IPL half-century in as many games in just 19 balls. This is the third-fastest fifty by a batter this season.
Points Table Scenario and what’s next to come
Mumbai Indians finally opened their account in the IPL and jumped to 8th spot. They next face RCB at the same venue on April 11, while the Capitals travel to Lucknow for their next on April 12. With this defeat, DC slipped to the 10th position.
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