In an exceptional contest of the leather and the willow, Delhi Capitals came up trumps against a soaring Mumbai as Lalit Yadav and Shimron Hetmeyer kept their calm till the very end to help the preceding year’s finalists in exacting revenge.
After a rollicking showdown with the ball that witnessed veteran leg-spinner, Amit Mishra leading the charge with a four-for performance and a tightening of affairs from Lalit Yadav and Avesh Khan, Mumbai could only manage to post a modest 137 on the cards.
Despite an early clampdown from Jayant Yadav that saw Prithvi Shaw taking a long walk of shame after being dismissed for just 7, Steven Smith and Shikhar Dhawan joined forces to plug the gaps and ushered Delhi to a comfortable position. Once Smith was removed, Lalit Yadav chipped in with an exceptionally sensible cameo that kept any kind of advancements from the Mumbai bowlers at bay.
Dhawan played a decent knock until trying to go for a big hit that saw him toeing a low delivery which landed in the safe arms of Krunal Pandya. Things still looked well in favour of Delhi, however, the last five-over jinx which Mumbai saw swinging in their favour in the last couple of games was broken finally.
With 15 needed from the last two overs, Bumrah came into bowl and Mr Reliable in the death overs for Mumbai and India, started the over with a No-ball. His overstep cost Mumbai heftily as it gave them an additional delivery and an extra run. He committed the same howler again in close lockstep in the third ball of the over that flipped the equation completely.
After playing out his over in the most sensible manner, Hetmeyer smacked Kieron Pollard for a boundary which was followed by another no-ball in the following over that summed up the game for Delhi.
Twitter didn’t really accept the fact that even Mr Perfect, Jasprit Bumrah could afford to bowl no-balls and that too in the death overs. They were stunned at the fact that even this is a possibility in cricket.
https://twitter.com/yah_iam_harsh/status/1384572133481672709
Most No balls bowled in IPL
25 – Bumrah*
23 – Sreesanth
21 – Ishant
21 – Mishra
19 – Umesh#MIvDC— 𝑺𝒉𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒔 (@Shebas_10dulkar) April 20, 2021
Bumrah and no balls is as same as
Bumrah and yorkers..
Period. ?#DCvMI— Amit Gupta (@Im_Amiiit) April 20, 2021
https://twitter.com/imlastbencher/status/1384568527084945414
https://twitter.com/imlastbencher/status/1384569625631879169
https://twitter.com/odd_err/status/1384564835686354952
People expecting Mumbai Indians to Win because Bumrah is bowling the 19th over!
Meanwhile Bumrah bowling Two No Balls and be like :- pic.twitter.com/OrCXSiLpCv— _Sarcasme16_ (@_Sarcasme16_) April 20, 2021
I think that 2 no balls by bumrah changed the momentum of game?
@mipaltan well played..
— Omkar Naikade (@NaikadeOmkar) April 20, 2021
Giving two no balls per match is the only way to make it fair for the batsmen facing Jasprit Bumrah in the death overs.
— Heisenberg
(@internetumpire) Bumrah bowling no balls in the clutch moments? ptsd. Traumatic. pic.twitter.com/aOeuJXtRBn
— paul atreides (@mfsinParis) April 20, 2021
