New Delhi, April 4 (IANS) Stand-in captain Suryakumar Yadav top-scored with 51 as the Mumbai Indians posted a competitive 162/6 in 20 overs on a slow black-soil pitch against the Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Saturday.

It was the kind of innings for MI that never quite found its stride – Suryakumar and Rohit Sharma steadied proceedings with a 53-run stand. But just as it threatened to build into something decisive, DC intervened to pick wickets at regular intervals, with Mukesh Kumar being the standout bowler with 2-26.

Suryakumar’s measured 51 off 36 balls, laced with three fours and two sixes, was the spine of MI’s innings and took them past the 160-mark, despite 38 runs coming from the final four overs. The crowd found its voice early on when Ryan Rickelton flicked Mukesh Kumar through midwicket and fine leg for fours, while fan favourite Rohit Sharma picked two boundaries off Lungi Ngidi through point and fine leg regions.

Mukesh corrected mistakes made in the opening over by resorting to a tighter line and good length in his second over. The reward was immediate – Rickelton chipped to mid-off, while Tilak Varma was undone by a cleverly disguised knuckle ball that looped back to the bowler for a simple caught-and-bowled dismissal.

At 31/2, Suryakumar arrived in the middle and began by clipping Mukesh for four, before sweeping Vipraj Nigam for another boundary. Rohit, while trying to keep Ngidi’s slower boundaries at bay, was lucky to get inside edge running for four, before dancing down the pitch next ball to smash an authoritative cover drive.

Post power play, the sixes arrived with great conviction – Rohit launched Nigam back over long-on, while Suryakumar cleared backward square leg off Axar. After Rohit survived an lbw appeal off Kuldeep Yadav, his vigil was brought to an end by Axar, as he chipped a slower ball to cover. Sherfane Rutherford fell cheaply – holing out to deep midwicket off Nigam.

But Suryakumar pressed on – paddling and lofting with immaculate ease – to bring up a measured fifty in 35 balls with Naman Dhir providing able company. Together, they plundered 17 runs from Kuldeep in the 15th over, with Dhir’s inside-out loft over extra cover a standout shot.

DC, though, bounced back as Ngidi’s skiddy pace-off delivery trapped Suryakumar lbw, while Dhir pulled straight to deep mid-wicket off T Natarajan. A brace of boundaries, each from Mitchell Santner and Corbin Bosch, took MI past the 160-run mark and set the stage for a fascinating second half.

Brief scores:

Mumbai Indians 162/6 in 20 overs (Suryakumar Yadav 51, Rohit Sharma 35; Mukesh Kumar 2-26, Axar Patel 1-22) against Delhi Capitals

–IANS

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