MUMBAI: Five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) made history at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, registering their 150th win in T20 cricket, the most by any cricket team.
The Blue and Gold franchise accomplished this milestone against Delhi Capitals (DC) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match in Mumbai. MI managed to defend the target of 235 runs courtesy of some big-hitting from openers Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan and then later by Tim David and Romario Shepherd down the order. DC was restricted to 205/8 in their 20 overs.
The 150 wins accomplished by Mumbai Indians exclude wins that came in Super Over following tied matches. Including the matches played in the IPL and now-defunct Champions League T20, MI has played 273 matches, winning 150, losing 117. Two matches ended in no result. MI has won and lost two matches each in Super Over.
CSK is at the second place with 148 victories in its history. Overall in its history, CSK has played 253 T20 matches, winning 148, and losing 101, two matches have ended in no result and five-time champions have lost two matches in Super Over after a tied regular game.
At third place is the Indian team, which has 140 wins in 219 matches if excluding their four Super Over wins. Six of their matches have ended in a no result, one ended in a tie and 68 ended in defeats.
This win was also MI’s 50th win at Wankhede Stadium (including Super Over wins), the most by an IPL franchise at a venue. The second place is Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), which has won 48 matches at their home arena of Eden Gardens, followed by 47 wins by CSK at Chepauk Stadium.
Notably, Mumbai Indians have won all 14 matches in which they defended totals of 200 runs or more.
Coming to the match, DC won the toss and put MI to bowl first. An explosive 80-run opening stand between Rohit Sharma (49 in 27 balls, with six fours and three sixes) and Ishan Kishan (42 in 23 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) set the tone for MI’s innings.
After a brief lull, which did not turn out to be even worse thanks to skipper Hardik Pandya’s 39 in 33 balls, with three fours and a six, Tim David (45* in 21 balls, with two fours and four sixes) and Romario Shepherd (39* in 10 balls, with three fours and four sixes) helped MI make 234/5 in their 20 overs. Axar Patel (2/35) and Anrich Nortje (2/65) were the pick of the bowlers for DC.
In the run-chase, DC was kept alive by knocks from Prithvi Shaw (66 in 40 balls, with eight fours and three sixes) and Abhishek Porel (41 in 31 balls, with five fours) after the early loss of David Warner. They put on an 88-run partnership for the second wicket.
But the scoring rate fell down and despite Tristan Stubbs’s power-packed 71* in 25 balls, with three fours and seven sixes, DC was restricted to 205/8, losing by 29 runs. Gerald Coetzee (4/34) and Jasprit Bumrah (2/22) were the best bowlers for MI. Romario took home the ‘Player of the Match’ award for taking one wicket and his quickfire 39*.
MI is in the eighth place in the points table with a win and three losses, giving them two points. DC is at the bottom, with a win in five matches, giving them two points. (ANI)