Dubai: Jasprit Bumrah moved to the top of the bowling charts on Saturday as Mumbai Indians beat Delhi Capitals and Sandeep Sharma dismissed Virat Kohli for a record seventh time in the Indian Premier League as his Sunrisers Hyderabad outplayed Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Bumrah and fellow fast bowler Trent Boult claimed three wickets each to restrict Delhi to 110 for nine, a total table-toppers Mumbai achieved in 14.2 overs for the loss of one wicket in Dubai.
In the late game, Hyderabad beat Bangalore by five wickets in Sharjah.
In Dubai, Ishan Kishan smashed an unbeaten 72 off 47 balls to be named man of the match as Mumbai, who have already qualified for the play-offs, ensured a top-two finish in the league stage.
Third-placed Delhi are struggling to stay in the final four after their fourth straight loss.
Mumbai’s stand-in-skipper Kieron Pollard praised his fast bowlers for the big win.
“Boult was exceptional. That’s his strength, bowling with the new ball. He’s consistently given us good starts,” said Pollard.
“Bumrah, I kept delaying him, on this track with his angles. He’s jumping to bowl in the powerplays, but again I saw today getting those early wickets, and with the spinners getting grip, kept him for the middle overs.”
Bumrah, who came on to bowl second change, returned figures of 3-17 to go level with Delhi quick Kagiso Rabada on 23 wickets in the Twenty20 tournament but the Indian bowler has a better average and economy rate.
Boult led the bowling charge with figures of 3-21 including the key wicket of in-form Delhi opener Shikhar Dhawan for nought off the third ball of the innings.
Kishan took on the Delhi bowling including South African pacemen Rabada and Anrich Nortje. The left-hand batsman hit eight fours and three sixes.
HYDERABAD WIN
In the second match, Sharma returned figures of 2-20 as Hyderabad held Kohli’s Bangalore to 120 for seven in Sharjah before recording their sixth win this season to keep alive their hopes of making the play-offs.
West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder hit an unbeaten 26 to steer the David Warner-led Hyderabad home in 14.1 overs.
Holder also took two wickets with his pace bowling.
But Sharma stood out after he won his duel with Kohli who had also fallen to Indian paceman Ashish Nehra six times in the Twenty20 tournament.
Sharma equalled the effort of former quick Zaheer Khan, currently director of cricket operations with four-time IPL winners Mumbai, who got the better of Mahendra Singh Dhoni seven times.
“Kohli is one of the greatest batsmen this sport has seen. To get him out is always special,” said Sharma. “We are now finding our momentum. We are excited about the next game.”
Hyderabad have jumped to fourth with six wins and 12 points alongside Kings XI Punjab as the race for the play-offs goes right down to the wire.
Delhi will meet Bangalore in a must-win league clash for both the teams on Monday and Kohli is looking forward to the challenge. “It is going to be a cracker of a game with two teams locked at 14 (points),” said Delhi-born Kohli.
“I have always been a Bangalore boy when it comes to the IPL, and never drifted towards Delhi.” — AFP
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