Delhi keeps their hopes alive

The Delhi Daredevils secured a crucial win in a game that was important for them to keep hopes of securing a semi-final berth in the DLF Indian Premier League (IPL) alive. Played at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium in Delhi, the home side pulled off a spectacular 5-wicket victory off the penultimate ball of the match against Mumbai Indians, thanks to a heroic effort with the bat by Dinesh Karthik.

The first team to play all their 14 league matches in the IPL, Delhi ends their points tally at 15 points with the win today and currently sits at the third position on the IPL table.

Chasing Mumbai’s 176/8 for victory, Delhi lost both its star openers before the sixth over with the team score on 50. Both Gautam Gambhir (19 off 9) and Virender Sehwag (18 off 6) got starts but failed to capitalize on them. Shikhar Dhawan (27) and Manoj Tiwary (36) then started to re-build the Delhi innings. But Mumbai clawed their way back into the game when Dwayne Smith picked up 2 wickets in 2 balls. Dhawan succumbed to Smith on 27 while Tillakaratne Dilshan was out first ball on a golden duck.

Dinesh Karthik came to the crease on the hat-trick ball and from the first ball itself looked in good touch. He put on a 41-run partnership with Tiwary before the latter threw away his wicket in a mix-up that resulted in a run-out. Farveez Maharoof then joined Karthik with 45 runs need off 30 balls for victory.

Karthik, who has been subdued all tournament, could not have chosen a better time to strike form. He played with poise and was careful not to throw away his wicket even though the pressure around him was building up. Maharoof lashed and missed a couple of times but it was just his lucky day. Karthik kept talking to him from the other end which helped him calm his nerves.

Eight runs were needed for victory off the last over which was bowled by Ashish Nehra and the duo took their side home with one ball to spare.

Karthik made a brilliant, unbeaten 56 off 32 balls under pressure. Maharoof who hit two fours in the last over to take his side home was not out on 20 from 13 balls as Delhi secured their seventh win of the IPL.

Earlier in the day, Daredevils’ skipper Virender Sehwag won the toss and decided to put Mumbai in to bat.

The Mumbai Indians got off to a good start with captain Sachin Tendulkar (18) and Sanath Jayasuriya both continuing their good form in the series. The left-handed Jayasuriya made a valiant 66 which consisted of 6 boundaries and 5 maximums. Robin Uthappa also contributed with an unbeaten 46 off 23 balls. However, he kept running short of partners at the other end as the Mumbai lower middle-order batsmen got out cheaply.

Yo Mahesh was the pick of the Delhi bowlers picking up 4 wickets for 36 runs from his 4 overs.

Dinesh Karthik was declared the Player of the Match for his gutsy innings in the face of adversity and pressure.

Delhi has done their bit in the competition. They now have to hope for Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings to fare badly in their next matches to have a chance of making it to the semi-finals of the IPL.

The next match of the Twenty20 extravaganza will be a battle between the Hyderabad Deccan Chargers and the Bangalore Royal Challengers as the two teams, who are at the bottom of the points table, square off against each other at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on May 25.