Mumbai Indians (MI) faced off against Delhi Capitals (DC) in the 20th match of IPL 2024 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 7, 2024. Delhi Capitals all-rounder Axar Patel delivered a superb flipper that went straight on after pitching, dismissing Mumbai Indians opener Rohit Sharma by clean bowling him.
Rohit, who began the innings alongside Ishan Kishan, had propelled MI to a rapid start with continuous boundaries and sixes. Despite Rohit’s departure at a strike rate of nearly 175, MI had gained an early advantage thanks to their strong start.
Rohit Sharma hit some big shots off Axar Patel in the first over, but Patel did much better in his second over. Patel bowled really accurately and got Rohit out with a tricky delivery called a flipper, which surprised him.
Patel’s seam positioning was like that of a regular spinner, but the ball spun inwards towards Rohit, who is the captain of the national team. Rohit Sharma didn’t anticipate such a significant change in the angle of the delivery and was trying to move forward and play the ball at the last moment.
However, Axar Patel’s delivery had all the elements—it bounced well, spun inside, and hit the off-stump directly. This missed opportunity meant Rohit couldn’t achieve his first fifty of the new season.
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However, he’ll be pleased with his improved performance today, especially after being dismissed for a golden duck in MI’s previous match against Rajasthan Royals on April 1st.
Following Rohit Sharma’s dismissal, Axar Patel also removes Ishan Kishan, while Nortje dismisses Surya
After Rohit Sharma’s departure at 49, Delhi Capitals’ fast bowler from South Africa, Anrich Nortje, dismissed the third batsman, Suryakumar Yadav, who was playing his first competitive match since December 2023.
Surya had been recovering from an ankle injury and a sports hernia illness, and it was only last week that he received clearance from the National Cricket Academy officials to participate in the IPL.
Surya, scoring 0 runs off 2 balls, mistimed his shot towards mid-off, where Jake Fraser-McGurk completed a commendable catch.
Axar Patel was once again in the spotlight, following his dismissal of Rohit Sharma. The left-arm finger spinner showcased his skills by taking a remarkable one-handed catch, preventing another MI opener from reaching a half-century.
Ishan Kishan continued the momentum started by Rohit but unfortunately hit a shot directly to Axar and departed after a rapid 42 runs off just 23 balls, boasting a strike rate of over 180.
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