Dubai: Avesh Khan’s bowling figures of 3-15 and an unbeaten 33 by Shreyas Iyer helped Delhi Capitals beat holders Mumbai Indians by four wickets in a low-scoring Indian Premier League contest today.
Khan and spinner Axar Patel took three wickets each to help restrict five-time champions Mumbai to 129-8, a total Delhi overhauled in 19.1 overs on a sluggish Sharjah pitch.
Top two
Delhi, who have already qualified for the play-offs after M.S. Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings, now eye a top two finish at the end of the league stage in the Twenty20 tournament.
“If we finish in the top two, we have that opportunity to play that one game and make the final,” said Iyer.
Rohit Sharma’s Mumbai have lost three of their four matches in the revived IPL in the United Arab Emirates.
They need to win their remaining two games to have any chance of making the play-offs which will feature four teams fighting for a place in the final.
“If your batters aren’t going to post runs on the board, it will be difficult to win games,” said Sharma.
“We are not playing to our potential. Hopefully in the next two games, we play the way we are known for.”
New ball
Khan, who shared the new ball with pace partner Anrich Nortje, took down Sharma in his first over after Delhi elected to field first and later Patel rattled the top order with his left-arm spin.
Suryakumar Yadav top-scored with 33 but the rest of the Mumbai batting faltered against a disciplined bowling attack.
Delhi wobbled in their reply after Shikhar Dhawan was run out, Prithvi Shaw fell lbw and Steve Smith was bowled by Nathan Coulter-Nile for nine.
Pant made 26 and then Iyer stayed calm in his 33-ball knock and put together unbeaten 39 runs with Ravichandran Ashwin, who hit the winning six in his 20, to take the team home.
