Mumbai: Delhi Daredevils showed why their attack is touted as the best in this IPL as they restricted Mumbai Indians, full of devastating batsmen, to a modest 142 for eight.
Daredevils bowlers dominated the proceedings from the word go after inviting the hosts to take first strike with leg-spinner Amit Mishra returning superb figures of 18 for two in four overs.
It was Hardik Pandya's 24 off 23 balls and West Indian Kieron Pollard's 26 off 29 balls that helped the home side to go beyond the 140 run mark after being 84/5 at one stage.
Mumbai managed to score only 32 runs in the last five overs as Dardevils skipper Zaheer Khan made some good bowling changes.
Daredevils were also brilliant in the field as they managed to run out three Mumbai batsman including Hardik. For the visitors, Australian paceman Pat Cummins (2/20), South African Kagiso Rabada (1/30), who made his IPL debut, were impressive.
Openers Parthiv Patel and Jos Buttler stitched 37 for the first wicket in four overs. Buttler made his intentions clear as he hit a six off Chris Morris in the second over, followed by a boundary.
Buttler, the star of Mumbai’s game against Kings XI Punjab, got a life on 11 after being dropped by wicket-keeper Rishab Pant on the last ball of the second over.
The Englishman then hammered Rabada for a maximum over the mid-wicket fence. However, in the same over, Rabada, clinched his first IPL wicket as he cleaned up Parthiv (8.
Buttler struck Zaheer for two boundaries in the fifth over. But Buttler’s stay at the crease was cut short by a brilliant throw by Sanju Samson, who came from short cover to hit the stumps as Mumbai slumped to 47/2.
Buttler made 28 off 18 balls, hitting two sixes and three fours.
In the eight over, Cummins removed in-form Nitish Rana (8) as he gave a sitter to Corry Anderson at deep mid-wicket.
In the very next over, skipper Rohit Sharma (5) again fell to a leg spinner, this time Mishra as he was caught by Cummins at deep backward square leg.
In the 13th over, Mishra claimed his second wicket as he sent back Krunal Pandya for 17 as he edge to stumper Pant. Half of the Mumbai side was back to the pavilion on 84.