IPL 2019: Biggest upset of Week 1

The first week of the much-anticipated 12th edition of the Indian Premier League has passed. Nine games and there’s already so much to look back at. It’s been an absolute cracker of a start to this 12th season of the IPL. While controversies have hogged a large part of the limelight, there have been some brilliant performances as well.

Chennai Super Kings have started their title defence in style as they’ve won two out of two. Kolkata Knight Riders are the other team to have won both their games and in fact, they are the table-toppers at the moment, courtesy a superior net run rate. Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals are the two teams who are win-less after the first week.

However, there was one result that wasn’t expected in the first week. And that is when the Delhi Capitals beat Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium in their first game of the season. MI didn’t have a great season in 2018 but they’ve been one of the most successful teams in the history of the IPL. They have also been slow starters, but Delhi have been one of IPL’s perennial underachievers. Moreover, the win came at the Wankhede where Mumbai have a strong record as well. Hence, it was a surprising result.

It was the third game of the season and Mumbai Indians won the toss and opted to bowl first on what looked like a typical Wankhede track. The pitch looked a belter and a big score was on the cards.

However, Delhi Capitals lost a couple of early wickets as Mitchell McClenaghan got two wickets in as many overs. Shikhar Dhawan and Colin Ingram stead the ship with a 83-run stand for the third wicket. But before either of them could mount a mammoth partnershi, Delhi once again lost a couple of wickets in quick succession.

But once Rishabh Pant, who is right among the batsmen in the Orange Cap list, walked into bat at No. 5 and got his eye in, the ball just kept sailing to and over the boundary. The way he batted was simply brilliant as he took Delhi to a mammoth total of 213 in their 20 overs.

Pant scored a manic 78 which included seven fours and seven sixes during his 27-ball knock. Delhi scored 82 runs in the last five overs as Mumbai’s death bowling plans went for a toss as Rishabh Pant kept smashing all the bowlers to all parts of the Wankhede.

Chasing a massive score, Mumbai were rocked early as they lost three wickets in the power play. Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock and Suryakumar Yadav were all back in the hut very early in the chase.

Hence, MI never really recovered from those early breakthroughs. Yuvraj Singh did score a 50 while Krunal Pandya tried to get MI’s innings going but it all went in vain as they were bowled out for 176. All the Delhi bowlers picked up at least one wicket, with premier fast bowlers Ishant Sharma and Kagiso Rabada picking up two wickets apiece.

The margin of victory for Delhi – 37 runs is still the biggest in the season so far. But DC beating MI at the latter’s home was the upset of the week.