IPL 2021: MI pick Suryakumar Yadav, Nathan Coulter-Nile as dressing room 'Player of the Match' for the duo's performances against DC

Defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) may have lost their all-important clash against the Delhi Capitals in Sharjah on Saturday. But there were still a few noteworthy performances from some of their players, which could have proved to be the difference in the end.

To acknowledge those performances despite the disappointing result, the MI dressing room picked stylish batsman Suryakumar Yadav and Australian pacer Nathan Coulter-Nile as the "Player of the Match" for their performances with bat and ball, respectively.

While head coach Mahela Jayawardene did the honours for Yadav, Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar did the same for Coulter-Nile.

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The contributions proved to be inadequate, though. That's because a calm-and-collected knock by Shreyas Iyer (33* off 33) and Ravichandran Ashwin's unbeaten 21-ball 20 guided DC to a four-wicket win.

MI's Suryakumar Yadav showed signs of regaining his form during his knock against DC

Coming into the all-important fixture, there was a lot of talk about Suryakumar Yadav enduring a lean patch.

The stylish Mumbai batter had registered four single-digit scores, including a golden duck against the Punjab Kings, in as many outings in the UAE leg. That was concerning, as the right-hander is an integral part of the Indian T20 World Cup set-up.

Ahead of MI's meeting against Delhi, head coach Mahela Jayawardene shrugged off concerns regarding Yadav's form.

The former Sri Lankan captain reckoned that Suryakumar Yadav needed to spend some time in the middle to regain his form. This is exactly what Yadav did on Saturday afternoon on a slow surface in Sharjah.

He looked the best batsman on show for Mumbai on another sluggish Sharjah pitch. The 30-year-old scored a 26-ball 33 before he holed out to mid-wicket off the bowling of Axar Patel.

Meanwhile, Coulter-Nile bowled with great discipline. The Australian pacer gave away just 19 runs in four overs besides claiming the prized scalp of his compatriot Steve Smith.

MI's total of 129-8 eventually proved inadequate as the defending champions slumped to their seventh defeat in 12 games. The holders will now lock horns against RR in Sharjah on Tuesday, with their slim playoff hopes on the line.