IPL 2020 Highlights, MI vs DC Qualifier 1, Full Cricket Score: Mumbai Indians win by 57 runs, book spot in final

Rohit Sharma (winning skipper)

“I guess it was our best performance of the season. Perfect result for us. We never had a target in the mind because we are a different team and we wanted to play a different way. Losing my wicket early was not good but we knew we can accelerate towards the back end. We never wanted the momentum to shift away, and the message was very clear to Ishan and Krunal to put pressure on bowling without fearing for their wicket. Such a versatile squad gives me the flexibility to change the batting order depending on the match situation. Boult should be fine in three days. When you have bowlers like Bumrah and Boult, it makes life easy for any skipper. Hats off to them for understanding what the team needs. I don’t talk to Bumrah too much; just hand him the bowl and he does the job.”

MI juggernaut rolls on

MI are a winning machine, and they gave ample evidence of that tonight. Having lost the toss, their mighty batting order ensured the toss was taken out of the equation. The assault was relentless and ruthless. Worthy winners.

MI will be playing their 6th IPL final – 2010, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020*.

Rohit Sharma has won each of the previous five IPL finals that he was part of. (1 for Deccan Chargers and 4 for Mumbai Indians).

After 20 overs,Delhi Capitals 143/8 ( Kagiso Rabada 15 , Anrich Nortje 0)

Pollard bowls the final over, and MI canter to a 57-run win. This has been embarrassingly easy for the defending champions who are in their sixth IPL final. A complete, clinical show from Rohit Sharma’s team while questions abound for DC.

Best bowling figures for Bumrah in IPL:

4/14 v DC, Dubai, 2020*
4/20 v RR, Abu Dhabi, 2020

Axar’s gone! Well, it doesn’t really matter now, but he played a very good part. Goes across the line, mistimes, and Rahul Chahar takes a juggling, tumbling catch.

Axar c Rahul Chahar b Pollard 42(33) [4s-2 6s-3]

After 19 overs,Delhi Capitals 129/7 ( Axar Patel 42 , Kagiso Rabada 4)

Right, so 83 needed from 12 balls as Nathan Coulter-Nile runs in for the penultimate over. Axar tonks him for a six but that really doesn’t matter. No momentum, no real urgency in this DC chase.

After 18 overs,Delhi Capitals 118/7 ( Axar Patel 34 , Kagiso Rabada 2)

Bumrah into his final over of the night. Talk about having a good day at work. Ends the over with just three runs; no let-up in intensity or purpose. These are his best T20 figures too; what a bowler!

After 17 overs,Delhi Capitals 115/7 ( Axar Patel 32 , Kagiso Rabada 1)

Coulter-Nile to bowl the 17th. With seven wickets down, there’s not much Rabada and Axar can do now. Just three runs from this over.

After 16 overs,Delhi Capitals 112/7 ( Axar Patel 30 , Kagiso Rabada 0)

Bumrah comes back, and sends back Stoinis first ball. Fast, coming in with the angle and breaching Stonis’ defence. Is this the end of DC’s resistance? They need 89 off 29 now with not much batting left as Daniel Sams walks in. He has had an ordinary day with the ball, can he turn it around with the bat? No way! Bumrah goes short, Sams goes for the pull and gloves it on the way to the ‘keeper. Double-wicket maiden from Bumrah; that’s MI’s second double-wicket maiden of the night after Boult set the ball rolling. What a match they are having; what a joy to watch these bowlers go!

Oh man! How good is Bumrah! He is ending this real fast. Bouncer to Daniel Sams who goes for the pull and ends up gloving it to QDK. What a bowler!

Daniel Sams c de Kock b Bumrah 0(2)

Bumrah!! Not for nothing is he hailed the way it is. Comes back into the attack and breaches Stonis’ defence first ball. Fast, searing in at 141 kmph, perhaps beating the batsman with his pace; either way, a very good innings come to end, and with it, perhaps DC’s hopes. 

Stoinis b Bumrah 65(46) [4s-6 6s-3]

After 15 overs,Delhi Capitals 112/5 ( Marcus Stoinis 65 , Axar Patel 30)

Pollard gets a taste of his own medicine here…is it an over too many for the big man? Axar hits him for two sixes as DC take 15 here. Not much separates the two teams in terms of scores at this stage, but can DC hit the way MI did in end overs?

After 14 overs,Delhi Capitals 97/5 ( Marcus Stoinis 63 , Axar Patel 17)

Natha Coulter-Nile returns and is greeted with a lovely cover drive from Axar Patel. He finds his lines soon, conceding just two more. When is the charge coming from DC? An odd boundary is not going to take them too far.

After 13 overs,Delhi Capitals 91/5 ( Marcus Stoinis 62 , Axar Patel 12)

Rahul Chahar is having a forgettable night! Stoinis gets stuck into him early, with a six and a four before Pollard’s misfield gifts another boundary to Axar Patel. These are not hurting MI yet, but Rohit would want Chahar to find his length soon.

After 12 overs,Delhi Capitals 75/5 ( Marcus Stoinis 51 , Axar Patel 7)

Krunal continues. Quite an eventful over that without much really happening. Starts with two excellent yorkers, and ends with a bouncer… and he bowls left-arm spin. Meanwhile, Stoinis reaches a well-compiled 50. He is playing a lone hand here.

After 11 overs,Delhi Capitals 68/5 ( Marcus Stoinis 45 , Axar Patel 6)

Pollard into hos second over now. He is bowling with hardly any pace, imploring Stoinis to come after him and risk his wicket. Concedes just three runs. The screws are tightening. As they say, something’s gotta give real soon.

After 10 overs,Delhi Capitals 65/5 ( Marcus Stoinis 43 , Axar Patel 5)

Krunal continues, and concedes just four singles after that 19-run over from Chahar. Stoinis is looking good, but can he do the unthinkable tonight? At the halfway stage, it looks a really tall order to be honest.

After 9 overs,Delhi Capitals 61/5 ( Marcus Stoinis 41 , Axar Patel 3)

Leggie Rahul Chahar comes into the attack, and is taken apart by Stoinis. One four and two massive sixes mean 19 runs come from that over. MI won’t be too worried just yet, but this is great hitting from the big Aussie.

After 8 overs,Delhi Capitals 42/5 ( Marcus Stoinis 24 , Axar Patel 1)

DC’s asking rate already inching towards 13 as Krunal ambles in, and strikes! Wow, quite an innocuous delivery that but Pant decides to slog sweep, mistimes as he has often done this IPL, and is taken by SKY. Pant’s bad form continues and DC are hurtling towards embarrassment.

Pant’s out. Slightly slower from Krunal and drifting away from the right-hander. Pant gets underneath it but no real timing or connection there. Taken at long-on by Suryakumar. 

Pant c Suryakumar Yadav b Krunal Pandya 3(9)

After 7 overs,Delhi Capitals 36/4 ( Marcus Stoinis 19 , Rishabh Pant (W) 3)

Pollard into the attack. He doesn’t bowl with much pace and likes to stick the ball in the surface, which makes him a really handy bowler in these conditions. Still looks a very good batting track though, but Pollard’s tight lines mean just four singles from his six deliveries. MI well and truly in command.

After 6 overs,Delhi Capitals 32/4 ( Marcus Stoinis 17 , Rishabh Pant (W) 1)

Nathan Coulter-Nile to bowl the last over of the powerplay. A boundary off the last ball means seven come from this over. Just 32 runs and 4 wickets from powerplay. No prizes for guessing the favourites at this stage.

After 5 overs,Delhi Capitals 25/4 ( Marcus Stoinis 11 , Rishabh Pant (W) 0)

Neat over there frim Krunal who could have had Stoinis had Hardik not misjudged that one. Just five from that over though as Krunal’s back of length deliveries didn’t give any room to Stoinis to free his arms.