It was expected to be a blockbuster and the Mumbai Indians-Delhi Capitals stayed true to its billing with a thrilling finish.
It was an even contest between bat and ball as both teams had their share of performers, but in the end the players who stood out were Kuldeep Yadav, Lalit Yadav and Axar Patel.
After Rishabh Pant put Mumbai into bat, it was obvious that Rohit would waste no time in taking off. Rohit and his opening partner Ishan Kishan were batting in overdrive as they thrashed Khaleel Ahmed and Kamlesh Nagarkoti for big runs to get to 53 for no loss at the end of the Powerplay.
Pant then brought on Kuldeep Yadav -- who has had a nightmarish couple of years in international cricket and in the IPL -- into the attack and after a quiet first over, Kuldeep of yore was back on the fore!
Kuldeep bowled a slightly back of length ball, Rohit went for the pull, his miscued shot going straight to the fielder at mid-wicket.
Kuldeep struck in his next over taking out Anmolpreet Singh for 8.
When MI veteran Keiron Pollard came in at the fall of Tilak Verma's wicket in the 15th, with Ishan still batting at the other end, the burly West Indian was expected to go hammer and tongs to take his team to a huge total.
But Kuldeep put paid to those plans. He bowled a short ball. Pollard muscled the pull and Tim Seifert took a stunning diving catch at mid-wicket to send Pollard back for 3 off 6 to put the plug on MI's scoring.
Kishan propped MI's total to 177 and chasing 178 for victory Seifert gave DC a quick start as he hammered a unusually wayward Jasprit Bumrah for big runs early on.
Leg-spinner Murugan Ashwin came on and took out Seifert and Mandeep Singh in the same over before Pant was dismissed by Tymal Mills in the very next to contain DC's runrate.
Prithvi Shaw went after the bowling for a couple of overs before getting out. Shardul Thakur (22 off 11) creamed Bumrah for three fours in an over, but once he was sent back, it was a Lalit Yadav-Axar Patel show as the batters went after the MI bowling.
With 41 needed off the last four overs, Lalit and Axar dispatched Basil Thampi, Sam Daniels and Bumrah to all corners of the park to carry the team to a victory that had seemed unlikely when Axar joined Lalit at 103/6 (13.2).
