Delhi Daredevils did not get third-time lucky, capitulating to a massive 146-run defeat against Mumbai Indians at the Ferozeshah Kotla here on Saturday. It was a loss that jolted its fragile playoff hopes even as it confirmed the visitor's spot at the top of the table. After the second highest successful chase in Indian Premier League (IPL) history, Daredevils suffered the heaviest defeat suffered by a side in terms of runs ever in the competition. The previous highest was Gujarat Lions' 144-run humiliation by Royal Challengers Bangalore last year.
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
The two architects of Daredevils' stupendous chase in the previous game – Sanju Samson and Rishabh Pant – both failed to open their accounts. Samson was caught at deep midwicket off the very first delivery of the Daredevils innings from Mitchell McClenaghan; Pant top-edged Jasprit Bhumrah on the first shot he tried to play, and Dardevils never recovered from the early setbacks.
‘Simmons, Pollard took the game away from us’
Chasing a massive 213-run target for victory – which would have bettered its previous best chase of 209 two days ago – Daredevils packed up for 66 in 13.4 overs, its lowest total this season. Wickets fell like ninepins, every Mumbai Indians bowler picking them up with ease and seemingly at will. So much so that Mumbai Indians hardly felt the absence of young Krunal Pandya or Jos Buttler. The added edge that its fielding provided was a contrast to the fumbling, dropping and misfielding bunch in the Daredevils’ ranks. No ball that went high and to a fielder was put down by Mumbai Indians.
Run spree
Earlier, Daredevils seemed to have taken coach Rahul Dravid's expectations of more from them too literally, allowing Mumbai Indians to rack up a massive 212 runs. Successful chases of stiff targets recently by Daredevils' young batting perhaps gave captain Zaheer Khan, coming back after missing out the last two games with a hamstring strain, enough confidence to put Mumbai Indians in after winning the toss. But there are several reasons the former champion is sitting pretty at the top of the table and now already assured of a playoff spot, and its exceptional batting has been one of them.
Parthiv Patel and Jos Buttler had provided their team with a strong foundation repeatedly and even though the Englishman was replaced by Lendl Simmons, the West Indian, playing his first game this season, continued the tradition. If anything, he was even more destructive, smashing four sixes and five fours in his 66-run innings.
While Khan got some respect early on, the other bowlers did not get off lightly as the openers added 79 runs with Simmons doing most of the hitting. Pat Cummins was the worst hit, welcomed by Patel for four fours – two each on either side of the pitch, in front and back - in his very first over. Cummins would go wicketless for 59 in his four overs, including a massive 23 in the final over that saw Hardik Pandya take two sixes and a four – all on the off side. Simmons also became the second fastest to 1000 IPL runs in the process.
Once Patel fell, stumped by Rishabh Pant trying to heave off a slower one from Amit Mishra, it brought out Keiron Pollard, promoted up the order and justifying the decision with a 35-ball 63 that was all brute power, smashing the ball into the second and third tiers repeatedly. Delhi sorely missed the services of Chris Morris, and it was a harsh lesson for the young Delhi side that seems destined to miss the knockouts yet again.
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