Mumbai Indians pacer Deepak Chahar conceded that his side fell short by roughly 10 to 15 runs against Delhi Capitals in their second IPL meeting of the season. Delhi chased down Mumbai’s total with six wickets to spare, moving to a second straight win in the competition.
Batting first, MI posted 162/6 in their 20 overs. Delhi reached the target with 11 balls remaining, driven by Sameer Rizvi’s outstanding knock of 90 off 51 balls. Speaking after the match, Chahar pointed to conditions at the venue and explained how the toss played a major role.
He said the surface had a touch of moisture and slowed the ball slightly, making it harder for the batting side to build momentum. In his view, those factors helped Delhi chase down the score with ease, leaving MI just short.
“I think the wicket was a little slow. I think the toss was crucial. I think there was a bit of moisture there. I wouldn’t say it was slow, it was just… I could feel the moisture, and the toss was very crucial in this sense, that’s why we were 10-15 runs short there,” Chahar said.
Chahar also confirmed that Mumbai had to do without their designated captain, Hardik Pandya, who was unavailable due to illness. When asked whether Pandya’s absence affected the team, Chahar acknowledged that the all-rounder’s non-participation had an impact.
He added that defending a score around 160 in a daytime game is difficult without regular wickets, and he felt Rizvi’s momentum swung the contest. Chahar suggested the match could have tightened if Mumbai had managed to remove Rizvi earlier.
“Yes, absolutely. I think he was sick, that’s why he couldn’t play. Hopefully, he’ll play in the next game. Yes, we were short because defending 160 in an afternoon game is a bit difficult, and to defend 160 you have to take consistent wickets. Rizvi played really well. If we would’ve got him out early, before 10 overs, the match would have been very interesting till the end,” Chahar said.
Rizvi arrived at the crease with confidence that has been growing throughout the season. He had also produced a match-winning effort of 70* off 47 balls against Lucknow Super Giants in DC’s opening match of the tournament, and Chahar credited the batter’s improving mindset and experience for his continued returns.
“The potential was always there, and now with experience, he’s become better. What I’ve seen in the IPL is that confidence is the key to success because everyone who’s selected in the IPL has the skill. So, now I think he’s become confident; you can see back-to-back he scored runs, he’s got better and better. It’s learning for everyone that skill doesn’t matter; confidence matters. So, whoever gets a chance, like a lot of youngsters playing in this tournament, they should learn from him to get confident and keep winning matches for their team,” Chahar said.
In the run chase, Delhi began with early setbacks, but they rebuilt through a 66-run stand between Pathum Nissanka (44) and Rizvi. After that partnership, Rizvi took control of the innings, finishing with 90 off 51 balls and combining with David Miller in a winning stand to guide DC over the line.
Earlier, Mumbai had set the tone with 162/6. Suryakumar Yadav top-scored with 51, while Rohit Sharma made 35. For Delhi, Mukesh Kumar provided the breakthrough moments, taking two important wickets—dismissing Ryan Rickelton and Tilak Varma.
Rizvi was named Player of the Match for his match-winning performance, extending a strong run of form for him in the IPL this season.
