Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Delhi Capitals’ chase got off to a lively start, but an early mix-up brought sudden drama as Nitish Rana was run out in unfortunate fashion. At 39/2 after five overs, DC were cruising before the mishap halted their momentum.The incident came in the second over when Jasprit Bumrah bowled a slower delivery outside off. Rana gently tapped it towards mid-wicket and initially set off for a quick single. However, hesitation crept in midway as he stuttered, unsure of the call. By then, his partner Pathum Nissanka had already committed and was well down the pitch.Bumrah reacted sharply, moving swiftly to his left to gather the ball. In one fluid motion, he aimed and fired a direct hit at the bowler’s end. Rana, despite a desperate dive, was well short of his crease. The hesitation proved costly, though replays suggested he might have struggled to make it even without the stutter.The wicket handed Mumbai Indians an early breakthrough, briefly shifting the pressure onto Delhi. Soon after, Sameer Rizvi, a right-handed batter, walked in to rebuild the innings alongside the set batter.Earlier in the match, Mumbai Indians had posted a competitive 162 for 6, thanks largely to a steady half-century from stand-in captain Suryakumar Yadav. He anchored the innings with a composed 51 off 36 balls, while Rohit Sharma contributed 35 at the top.However, Delhi’s bowlers kept things tight throughout. Mukesh Kumar struck twice early to dent Mumbai’s top order, while Axar Patel led from the front with an economical spell and the key wicket of Rohit. Contributions from Lungi Ngidi and T Natarajan ensured Mumbai couldn’t fully capitalise in the death overs.Despite the early run-out setback, Delhi still had a solid platform in the chase, though the mix-up served as a reminder of how quickly momentum can shift in T20 cricket.
