In Sunday's Indian Premier League match, Mumbai Indians secured their first win of the season with a 29-run victory over Delhi Capitals. Romario Shepherd played a crucial role in the win, smashing 32 runs in the last over of Mumbai's innings.
This victory ended Mumbai's three-match losing streak and earned two valuable points for the Hardik Pandya-led side. Meanwhile, Delhi Capitals suffered their fourth loss in five games.
Shepherd scored an unbeaten 39 runs off just 10 balls, which included hitting Anrich Nortje for 4 sixes and a four in the 20th over, helping Mumbai to reach a formidable total of 234-5. Former captain Rohit Sharma was the top scorer with 49 runs off 27 balls, including six fours and three sixes, while Tim David contributed with a 45 not out off 21 balls.
Delhi managed to score 205-8 in response, with Tristan Stubbs' unbeaten 71 off 25 balls and opener Prithvi Shaw's 66 off 40 being the main contributors. Pacer Gerald Coetzee took 4-34 for Mumbai.
After losing the toss, Mumbai had a good start with Sharma and Ishan Kishan adding 80 runs in just seven overs.
Kishan scored 42 off 23 balls before left-arm spinner Axar Patel broke the partnership by dismissing Sharma at the end of the seventh over. Patel also got rid of Kishan with a sharp one-handed caught-and-bowled dismissal, slowing down Mumbai's scoring.
Suryakumar Yadav, a top T20 batter, returned to action after recovering from a sports hernia injury. However, he fell for a two-ball duck as Mumbai reached 111-3 in 10.2 overs.
Hardik scored 39 off 33 balls to stabilize the innings and put on 60 runs for the fifth wicket with David. When Shepherd arrived at the crease, Mumbai desperately needed some momentum towards the end of the innings.
He turned Mumbai's par total into a challenge by hitting Nortje's final over to all parts of the ground.
Shepherd dismissed Delhi opener David Warner for 10 runs and continued the momentum with the ball.
Shaw and Abhishek Porel provided a platform for the chase, adding 88 runs for the second wicket off 49 balls.
Shaw hit eight fours and three sixes while Porel scored 41 off 31 balls on his home ground. Jasprit Bumrah brought Stubbs to the crease with a trademark yorker to end Shaw's innings.
Stubbs, who previously played for Mumbai Indians, hit seven sixes to boost Delhi's innings. He lacked support from the other end after Porel was dismissed by Bumrah. Coetzee removed Rishabh Pant for just one, and Delhi's innings fell apart thereafter as the new batters failed to reach double digits.
Mumbai has risen to eighth place in the points table, while Delhi Capitals are currently last in the 10-team competition.
Lucknow Super Giants hosted Gujarat Titans in the second game on Sunday after winning the toss and choosing to bat first.