IPL 2020 | DC bowlers dropped the ball after choking Mumbai in the middle, feels Shreyas Iyer

11/05/2020

Delhi Capitals skipper Shreyas Iyer rued his side’s inability to keep the Mumbai batsmen under check as after having them at 101/4 stage, the DC bowlers leaked 78 in the last 5 overs to let the game slip. Iyer also emphasized the need for the Capitals to come out with a positive mindset.

The rub of green in Dubai initially went the Delhi Capitals’ way as after winning the toss and opting to bowl, Shreyas Iyer’s men got the prized scalp of Rohit Sharma in just the second over. Great counter-attacking batting from Mumbai ensued but the Capitals striking at regular intervals meant that they had the game under control.

At 101/4 in the 13th over, Delhi looked like they had well and truly done an exceptional job of choking Mumbai but a ludicrous onslaught followed in the final five as the duo of Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya took 78 off the death overs to bat Delhi out of the game. 201, eventually, proved to be a mountain too steep to climb as DC slumped to a 57-run defeat.

Speaking post match, Iyer regretted the DC bowlers not capitalizing on the quiet middle-over phase and reckoned 170 could have been a chaseable target on what was a good wicket.

“We were on top of the game especially in that phase when we got two wickets, and they were 110 for in 13 or 14 overs. That is when we should have capitalised more. We could have chased 170 on this wicket,” Iyer told Star post-match.

After conceding 200 with the ball, Delhi got off to the worst start imaginable, losing three wickets without putting a single run on the board. The disastrous start set the tone for the rest of the innings as 143 was what the DC batsmen managed, despite there being no demons on the wicket. Iyer hoped for the batsmen to come out with a much more positive intent in their next game, which will be the second Qualifier.

"Very tough. I don't want to talk anything negative about the side, but going forward we have to make sure we come out with a solid mindset.”

A shining light in the game for the Capitals was the performance of veteran Ravi Ashwin, who returned with figures of 3/29 on the night. In his spell, Ashwin knocked over the trio of Rohit, de Kock, and Pollard and kept his side ahead in the game for a brief while. Iyer lavished praised on the Tamil Nadu man and described him as an asset for any captain.

“Ashwin was brilliant. He is always there, offering something for the team. He plays with the batsmen's minds. Great to have his inputs as a captain.”

Delhi will now face the winner of the eliminator clash between Hyderabad and Bangalore on Sunday, November 8.