Mumbai’s woeful form continues

Defending champions lose to Delhi in a one-sided IPL encounter.

KARACHI: Mumbai Indians barely looked like the team that won the Indian Premier League (IPL) last year as they crashed to their fourth consecutive defeat in the seventh edition of the richest cricket league, being staged in the UAE.

This time around it was Delhi Daredevils who coasted home against them in a one-sided encounter played at the historic Sharjah stadium.

Batting first, Mumbai stuttered to a below par score of 125, losing six wickets in the allotted 20 overs. West Indies’ Kieron Pollard was the top-scorer for his team, scoring 33 runs with the aid of two sixes and two fours off 30 balls.

Jaydev Unadkat was the best bowler for the Daredevils, taking two wickets while conceding 29 runs in his four overs.

The target did not challenge the Daredevils much as India’s Test opener Murali Vijay laid the foundations of a straight forward win by contributing 40 off 34 balls. His innings included four hits to the fence alongside a solitary six.

Captain Kevin Pietersen returned to form with an unbeaten 26 off 18 balls, with the former England captain and batting mainstay clubbing two fours and one six to guide his team past the target. He added 25 runs with Kedar Jadhav (14) to complete the chase in the penultimate over of the match.

Vijay, who top-scored in the encounter, was declared player of the match, with the win helping the Delhi Daredevils overcome a close defeat against Hyderabad in their last game.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 28^th, 2014.

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