AMIT Mishra picked up four wickets to set up Delhi Capitals’ (DC) rare victory over Mumbai Indians (MI) in an IPL 2021 match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai yesterday. Mishra’s four for 24 kept MI to 137 for nine, which DC chased down with six wickets in hand in the final over.
Shikhar Dhawan (45), Steve Smith (33) and Lalit Yadav (22*) made decent contributions with the bat in tough conditions to help DC home. DC had lost their last five matches to Mumbai.
DC’s chase started on a wrong note with Prithvi Shaw tamely chipping a return catch to Jayant Yadav in the second over. MI nearly got Shikhar Dhawan out in the first over, with Hardik Pandya claiming a low catch. However, replays show he had grassed it. The absence of soft signal in the IPL worked in favour of the batsman.
However, DC had the perfect batsman to soak in the pressure and put up a steady partnership for chasing such low totals – Steve Smith. Smith joined Shikhar Dhawan as the duo took DC to 39 for one in the Power Play. The duo added 55 for the second wicket before Kieron Pollard trapped Smith lbw in the 10th over. With the ball spinning big, and Rahul Chahal and Jayant Yadav bowling well, Dhawan and Lalit Yadav batted steadily to take the equation to 48 from six overs.

After the break, Dhawan hit Rahul Chahar for a six and a four, but the leg-spinner had his revenge in the same over, Dhawan caught in the deep for 45 (42).
DC needed 37 off 30. And despite losing skipper Rishabh Pant to Bumrah, Lalith and Shimron Hetmyer (14 not out) finished the game without fuss.
Earlier, Mishra, who is playing his second game of this season, removed skipper Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya, both caught in the deep as well as Ishan Kishan, who was bowled and Kieron Pollard, who was out leg-before-wicket. MI, who lost Quinton de Kock early to Marcus Stoinis, were looking good at one stage as Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav added 58 for the second wicket. However, Yadav’s dismissal off the bowling of Avesh Khan triggered a collapse.
Mishra then got into the act as MI lost four wickets, including three to Mishra, while adding just eight runs. Both Sharma and Hardik fell in the space of three balls.
While Mishra took four wickets, pace bowler Avesh took two for 15 in two overs while Rabada and Lalit Yadav picked up a wicket each. (IPLsStaff with IANS inputs)