Delhi , 4 April : Stand-in skipper Suryakumar Yadav produced a composed half-century as the Mumbai Indians posted 162/6 against the Delhi Capitals in an Indian Premier League clash at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday.
The innings unfolded cautiously on a slow black-soil pitch. Momentum remained inconsistent throughout.
Suryakumar and Rohit Sharma stabilised the innings with a 53-run partnership. However, Delhi bowlers struck at regular intervals to restrict acceleration.
Suryakumar crafted 51 off 36 deliveries. His innings included three boundaries and two sixes.
He anchored the effort and ensured MI crossed the 160 mark. Early strokes from Ryan Rickelton and Rohit provided initial impetus.
Yet, Mukesh Kumar turned the tide. He dismissed Rickelton and Tilak Varma in quick succession with disciplined bowling.
At 31/2, Suryakumar rebuilt with calculated stroke play. He combined finesse with controlled aggression.
Rohit contributed 35 before falling to Axar Patel after a steady vigil. Sherfane Rutherford departed cheaply, adding pressure on MI.
Suryakumar continued to dictate tempo. He reached his fifty in 35 balls. Naman Dhir supported effectively, and the duo extracted 17 runs from Kuldeep Yadav in one over.
Delhi responded late. Lungi Ngidi trapped Suryakumar lbw, while T Natarajan removed Dhir. Late boundaries from Mitchell Santner and Corbin Bosch pushed the total to a competitive 162.
Mukesh Kumar emerged as the standout bowler with figures of 2/26. MI now rely on disciplined bowling to defend the total in a closely poised contest.
