Mumbai Indians prevent Delhi Capitals from taking final playoffs spot, RCB qualify

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Delhi Capitals were knocked out of the IPL 2022 tournament on Saturday night

Mumbai Indians (MI) defeated Delhi Capitals (DC) in the penultimate league round match of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 by 5 wickets, and their win ensured that the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) occupied the final spot in the playoffs. 

The other teams to have reached the IPL 2022 playoffs are Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Gujarat Titans (GT) and Rajasthan Royals. These three teams have garnered 20, 18, 18 and 16 points (RCB) respectively after the conclusion of the 69th match in the league stage. 

The clash between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings on Sunday night will be an inconsequential match both of these teams were knocked out in the race to make it to the IPL 2022 playoffs. 

In the crunch match between Delhi capital and Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai on Saturday night, Rohit Sharma led team recorded a five wicket victory with Tim David being the hero with a superb knock of 34 from just 11 balls. 

The game was truly a forgettable one for Delhi Capitals’ captain Rishabh Pant who did not take a DRS review earlier when Tim David was just starting his innings. The blunder proved costly for the Delhi side as Tim David’s 11-ball 34 — studded with 4 sixes and 2 fours — knocked them out of the tournament and RCB progressed ahead. 

Delhi Capitals huffed and puffed and made 159/7 against Mumbai Indians in what turned out to be a tough game for Rishabh Pant & Co. Delhi Capitals’ comeback Indian opener Prithvi Shaw sparkled early on with 24 but his knock — including those from Rishabh Pant and Rovman Powell — were not enough for DC to recover from the  early blows in the form of David Warner (5) and Mitchell Marsh (0). 

Jasprit Bumrah was the pick among the bowlers for Mumbai Indians as he returned with 4-0-25-3, dismissing the likes of Shaw, Marsh and Powell. 

Pant scored 39 from 33 balls with 1 six and 4 fours while Powell cracked 4 sixes and 1 four to make 43 from 33 balls. Pant and Powell added 75 runs for the fifth wicket to help Delhi revive from the blows that Mumbai Indians dealt them, and at the halfway stage they had a competitive total to defend.

But Mumbai Indians’ batsmen produced a combined effort barring their captain Rohit Sharma, who was dismissed for 2. The Mumbai Indians and India captain Rohit Sharma has not been out of form — he has had a few big innings — but the right-handed batsman has not been able to impose himself in ways only he can in this IPL 2022 competition. 

The wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan scored 48 from 35 balls with 4 sixes and 3 fours, Dewald Brevis returned to the side and smacked a 33-ball 37 with 3 sixes and a four, Tilak Varma made 21 from 17 balls with one six and a four while Tim David — who did make most of the lifeline when he was caught behind by Rishabh Pant and the Delhi Capitals captain did not opt for a DRS review — scored 34 not out from 11 balls with 4 sixes and 2 fours. 

Towards the end of the game, Ramandeep Singh made a vital 13 not out from 6 balls to finish the chase for Mumbai Indians and knock Delhi Capitals out of the competition.