CHENNAI: A full-strength Mumbai Indians can be intimidating. In the 13th edition of IPL, they have hardly set a foot wrong.
On Thursday, they inched closer towards the title. An unsaid mantra of a strong team is, each player knows his role clearly. Mumbai's success can be attributed to that.
Their line-up boasts of three batsmen with more than 400 runs in the league phase. The bowling is no different — three picked up 15 or more wickets.
Unlike other teams, Mumbai hardly make changes to the XI. They have been so consistent that even when Rohit Sharma missed four matches due to a hamstring injury, it hardly affected their results.
Going into Qualifier 1 in Dubai, Mumbai were clear favourites against Delhi Capitals, who went off the track towards the end of the league phase.
Though the loser of this match gets a second shot to reach the final, Mumbai were not interested in that route as they entered a second straight final with a 57-run win.
After their batters set a daunting target of 201, Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult ran through Delhi to leave them at 41/5 after eight overs. It was zero for three at the start.
Though Marcus Stoinis (65 off 46) waged a lone battle with Axar Patel (42), it was not enough.
Asked to bat first, Mumbai's approach was simple: go hard in the first six overs and carry the momentum forward. In the past, even when they lost a few wickets, those batting never shied away from playing shots, thereby maintaining a healthy net run rate throughout the innings.
On Thursday, fifties from Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan, with opener Quinton de Kock's quickfire 40, took the team to 200/5. From 78/1, they had slumped to 101/4.
But it didn't stop the batsmen from going after the bowlers. The innings witnessed 12 sixes and 15 fours. Hardik Pandya's ruthless 37 off 14 at the end meant they posted an above-par total.
Despite possessing two of this IPL's best bowlers in Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje, Delhi gave the new ball to Australian Daniel Sams.
He has now failed to take a wicket in the last three matches. Five bowlers in the powerplay said a thing or two about Delhi's desperation to restrict Mumbai. Nothing paid off.
R Ashwin was the only one to exert pressure, as he accounted for Rohit, De Kock and Kieron Pollard. That — despite two big-hitters going silent — Mumbai still reached 200 speaks of the depth in their line-up.
As things stand, only an exceptional effort can stop Rohit & Co from clinching a fifth title. If they do win, Mumbai would be the second team to defend the IPL title.
Brief scores:
Mumbai 200/5 in 20 ovs (Kishan 55 n.o, Suryakumar 51, De Kock 40, Hardik 37 n.o; Ashwin 3/29) bt Delhi 143/8 in 20 ovs (Stoinis 65, Axar 42; Bumrah 4/14, Boult 2/9).