Delhi down Mumbai, Rajasthan near play-offs

Top four teams will qualify for the play-offs.

• Pramod Thomas
• 28 April, 2024

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By: Pramod Thomas

AUSTRALIA’s Jake Fraser-McGurk smashed 84 off 27 deliveries to fire Delhi Capitals to 257-4 and a 10-run win over Mumbai Indians in another IPL high-scorer on Saturday (27).

In the second match of the day, skipper Sanju Samson hit an unbeaten 71 as Rajasthan Royals all but confirmed their play-off spot with a seven-wicket hammering of Lucknow Super Giants.

Delhi, at their home Arun Jaitley Stadium, posted their best-ever total in the T20 tournament, a day after Punjab Kings chased down a record target of 262.

Delhi’s previous best was 231-4 in 2011 against Punjab Kings. This edition Sunrisers Hyderabad have twice smashed IPL records with totals of 277 and 287.

Bowlers kept five-time champions Mumbai down to 247-9 despite a valiant 32-ball 63 by Tilak Varma as Delhi boosted their play-off hopes with five wins in 10 matches.

Fraser-McGurk, a 22-year-old Australian batsman who has taken his IPL debut season by storm with three half-centuries in five matches, started with two fours and a six off England pace bowler Luke Wood in a 19-run first over.

“That’s my role, go out there and score as many as I can and get the team off to a nice start,” Fraser-McGurk, who has a strike-rate of 237.50, said after his blitz.

The Australian kept up the charge to reach his fifty in 15 balls with a hit over the fence and put on 114 runs with opening partner Abishek Porel, who hit 36.

Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla finally denied Fraser-McGurk, who went unsold in the auction before Delhi signed him as injury replacement, his century.

There was no stopping Delhi as Shai Hope hit a 17-ball 41, skipper Rishabh Pant made 29 off 19 deliveries and Tristan Stubbs smashed an unbeaten 48 to pummel the opposition attack.

Mumbai, who have endured a tough season after Hardik Pandya replaced veteran Rohit Sharma as captain and has been booed across a number of venues, lost regular wickets.

Pandya hit 46 off 16 balls but it was a 70-run partnership between Varma and Tim David, who hit 37 off 17 balls that raised Mumbai’s hopes, but Delhi kept calm.

David fell lbw to Mukesh Kumar after a four and a six and Varma was run out at the start of the final over as Mumbai remained ninth.

Kumar and fellow medium-pace bowler and impact substitute Rasikh Salam took three wickets each.

In the evening match in Lucknow, the hosts posted 196-5 courtesy a 76 by skipper KL Rahul and his 115 run stand with Deepak Hooda, who made 50.

Lucknow lost two early wickets after New Zealand’s left-arm quick Trent Boult bowled Quinton de Kock for eight and Sandeep Sharma bowled Marcus Stoinis for a duck.

Rahul and Hooda steadied the innings and then hit back but the effort was not enough as Dhruv Jurel, who hit 52, and Samson steered table-toppers Rajasthan home with one over to spare for their eighth win in nine matches.

(AFP)