IPL 2019: Match 3, MI vs DC – Delhi Capitals Player Ratings

After a sluggish season opener to IPL 2019, the fans were treated with absolute run feasts on the double-header Sunday. The Kolkata Knight Riders pipped the Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Eden Gardens riding on a beast show by Andre Russell. The action then moved to Mumbai where the Mumbai Indians hosted the revamped Delhi Capitals in their first match of the season. The MI vs DC game proved to be a high scoring one as well, with the Wankhede pitch playing to its true nature.

Rohit Sharma won the toss for the hosts and was happy to bowl first. His decision proved great as Mitch McClenaghan managed to dismiss Prithvi Shaw and the DC captain Shreyas Iyer early on in the game. Veteran batter Shikhar Dhawan then joined hands with new recruit Colin Ingram to add 83 runs for the third wicket.

Both the batsmen scored in the 40s but the actual impetus to the innings was provided by Rishabh Pant, who played a blitzkrieg knock. The southpaw hammered an unbeaten 78 off just 27 balls with 7 fours and 7 sixes. His herculean efforts helped DC post 213/6 in 20 overs.

In the run chase, the Mumbai Indians could never really get going. Their scorecard moved at a brisk pace owing to the fact that almost every batter contributed with some good shots. However, the frequent wickets hurt the run chase badly. They were bundled out 176 in 19.2 overs to concede a 37 run win to the Delhi Capitals.

Here are the Delhi Capitals Player Ratings for the match:

Prithvi Shaw – 1/10

Young Prithvi Shaw had a poor start to his IPL season. He hit a four upfront soon after he took strike in the match. But it was perhaps rush of blood, a little too early, that cost him his wicket. Extra bounce from McClenaghan did the trick and he ended up edging one to the wicketkeeper.

Shikhar Dhawan – 7/10

Veteran Indian batter Dhawan donned the Delhi jersey yet again after a long gap. The DC camp had felt the need to have an experienced head at the top order. And with Dhawan in the line-up, they seemed to have got this sorted. Dhawan played sensibly to bat along with Ingram to ensure that the scorecard kept ticking. After an initial six, Dhawan hit four more boundaries in his 36-ball 43.

Shreyas Iyer – 3/10

DC skipper Shreyas Iyer looked in sublime form when he arrived at the crease. He teed off right from the word go to clobber a maximum and a couple of fours. Trying to maximise his good touch with the bat, he attempted another hit off McClenaghan but ended up with a miscued shot that saw him perish after scoring 16.

Colin Ingram – 7.5/10

Veteran South African cricketer Colin Ingram seems to be the perfect answer for Delhi’s middle order batting woes. The way Ingram adjusted to the conditions and played with Dhawan spoke volumes about his calibre. The globe trotter deserved a fifty and was unfortunate to have missed out by just 3 runs. He scored 47 off 32 balls with his knock embellished with 7 fours and a maximum.

Rishabh Pant – 9.5/10

Rishabh Pant was the star of the show for the Capitals. The young turk looked in a different zone altogether. He took about 5 deliveries to get off the mark and the commentators had started to talk about his unconventional and faulty technique. It was just then that the wicketkeeper-batter cut lose to hit some towering sixes.

He pulled and hooked at will, toying around with a bowler of the calibre of Jasprit Bumrah as well. Pant’s sensational knock of 78 came in just 27 balls with 7 fours and 7 sixes. Pant’s fifty came off only 18 deliveries – the fastest fifty scored against MI in the history of IPL!

Axar Patel – 4/10

Axar Patel arrived at the crease to bat in the 17th over. Having underperformed with the bat over the years, this was a good opportunity for Axar to prove his mettle. Axar hit a four off the very first ball he faced, but ended up throwing his wicket away on the very next ball. With the ball, he had a terrible start as he was taken away for 21 runs in his first over. The next two overs that he bowled yielded another 21 runs. Some consolation came his way in the form of Hardik Pandya’s wicket.

Keemo Paul – 6/10

Keemo Paul would be a tad disappointed with the way things shaped up for him in the game. He had a good chance to wield his willow in front of such a huge crowd. He largely failed and could only score 3. With the ball in hand, he was much better. He bowled 3 overs and conceded 21 runs. He took the wicket of Kieron Pollard.

Rahul Tewatia – 7/10

Rahul Tewatia is a player to watch out for. The leg-spinner is more than just capable of rotating strike at the crease. He showed this when he managed to sweep Jasprit Bumrah for a six in the final over of the DC innings. Later in the game, Tewatia bowled 1.2 overs to finish with figures of 1/12. More importantly, he picked up four catches and all of them were big wickets.

Kagiso Rabada – 8/10

Kagiso Rabada bowled with sheer pace. The Proteas fast bowler clocked speeds of 145 km/hr on a consistent basis. Even a well set Yuvraj Singh found it tough to get going against Rabada. Rabada eventually managed to get rid of Yuvraj – the top scorer from the MI camp. He also accounted for the wicket of Ben Cutting. Rabada finished with figures of 2/23 in his quota of four overs.

Ishant Sharma – 7.5/10

Ishant made his comeback in the IPL after an exile of over a year. Having last played in May 2017, there were concerns around his form with the ball. The veteran pacer made it a point to ensure that he was not there to play second fiddle to the Rabadas and Boults. Ishant got rid of both the MI openers. He conceded just 21 runs in his first three overs. It was his final over that went away for 13 runs to conclude his game figures of 2/34.

Trent Boult – 6/10

Trent Boult had a great start with the ball. He looked threatening in the first over of the MI innings. However, in his very second over, Quinton de Kock took him apart for a maximum and a couple of boundaries. The Kiwi pacer failed to get his act going thereafter. He eventually ended up conceding 42 runs in his spell and could only take a solitary wicket, that of Krunal Pandya. This proved to be a mini game-changer for DC.

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