IPL 2024: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Stubbs, Rasikh star as DC clinch high-scoring thriller vs MI

Mukesh Kumar held his nerves to defend 25 in the final over as DC clinched another high-scoring last-over thriller at Qila Kotla for a 10-run win over MI in the IPL 2024 match.

Another nail-biting, high-scoring showdown unfolded in the Indian T20 League, with the outcome hanging in the balance until the final moments. In a remarkable display of resilience, Delhi emerged victorious, securing their fourth win in the last five matches. This triumph also serves as sweet revenge for Delhi, avenging their earlier loss to Mumbai at the Wankhede Stadium. Moreover, the match’s total runs surpassed the 500 mark, marking it as the highest aggregate T20 total ever witnessed at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

With this win, Delhi jumped to the fifth position on the points table, having accumulated ten points from an equal number of games. Meanwhile, Mumbai find themselves entrenched in ninth spot, with only six points garnered from nine matches thus far. Mumbai embarked on their pursuit of 258 runs with a swift pace, setting a promising tone in the initial two overs. However, the early loss of Rohit Sharma followed by two more wickets during the Powerplay saw them at 65 runs for the loss of three key batters.

Tilak Varma emerged as a beacon of hope, steering the innings alongside skipper Hardik Pandya, who unleashed a barrage of attacks, particularly targeting Kuldeep Yadav in a blistering over. Despite Pandya’s explosive efforts, his departure halted Mumbai’s surge. Varma, however, persisted, notching up a commendable half-century.

Tim David’s explosive cameo provided Mumbai with a glimmer of hope, but his dismissal in the 18th over left Varma with a substantial task. With the game stretched to the final over, Varma’s unfortunate run-out sealed Mumbai’s fate, adding yet another defeat to their tally. With their playoff aspirations dwindling, Mumbai faces an uphill battle, although they still have five games to salvage their season.

Delhi just had that bit more and those early wickets were really the telling factor in this game. Lizaad Williams showed great signs in the very first over but was a bit wayward after which Khaleel Ahmed sent back Rohit Sharma in the third over, opening the doors for his side. Mukesh Kumar got Ishan Kishan off his first delivery and then Khaleel got the big wicket of Suryakumar Yadav in the final over of the Powerplay.

However, a rare thing happened as Kuldeep Yadav was put away by Mumbai and failed to get into the game at all. Delhi’s Impact Player on the other hand, Rasikh Dar made more than just an impact as he finished with 3 wickets and bowled a couple of crucial overs atn the death, especially the penultimate over. In the end, Mukesh was able to hold his nerve and get his side over the ropes.

Earlier, DC set the Arun Jaitley Stadium ablaze with a record-breaking performance against MI and soared to their highest-ever Indian Premier League (IPL) total of 257/4, largely due to the explosive batting of Jake Fraser-McGurk and Tristan Stubbs. Jake Fraser-McGurk, a young sensation, was particularly spectacular, smashing a rapid 84 off just 27 balls.

His innings included a barrage of 11 fours and six sixes, showcasing his ability to dominate the bowling attack right from the start. McGurk reached his fifty in a mere 15 balls, equalling the fastest fifty of the season, which he had set earlier. His aggressive play set the tone for the innings, as he took advantage of the powerplay overs, propelling Delhi to 92 for no loss early in the game.

Tristan Stubbs also played a crucial role in boosting the team’s score with his unbeaten 48 off 25 deliveries. Stubbs’ innings was marked by clean hitting and timely boundaries that kept the momentum in Delhi’s favor, especially towards the closing stages of the innings. His partnership with other batters, particularly during the death overs, was instrumental in Delhi crossing the 250-run mark.

22-year-old Fraser-McGurk matched his own record for the fastest fifty of the season, achieving the milestone in just 15 balls after MI elected to field at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Fraser-McGurk’s presence on the pitch transformed the atmosphere into a flurry of boundaries and sixes at the compact venue. He hammered 11 fours and six sixes, setting the tone early by collecting 19 runs from Luke Wood’s first over, exploiting the powerplay fielding restrictions to amass 92 runs.

Facing the formidable Jasprit Bumrah, the Australian opener greeted him with a six over long-on, followed by a four in the subsequent over. Fraser-McGurk continued his assault, hammering three more boundaries with sheer brute force after Nuwan Thushara replaced Wood. With his fast bowlers struggling, MI captain Hardik Pandya turned to spin, bringing Piyush Chawla into the attack. However, Fraser-McGurk remained undeterred, launching another maximum over long-on to secure his third IPL fifty.

McGurk particularly targeted Pandya, launching the ball out of the park and over deep mid-wicket with Porel (36) watching from the other end. Chawla eventually halted the onslaught with a well-disguised googly. Despite a brief dominance by MI, Nabi dismissed Porel in the 10th over.

Then, Shai Hope (41) unleashed his power, smashing five sixes, while Pant (29) showcased his signature helicopter shot, sending the ball soaring over deep mid-wicket. Stubbs pushed DC past the 200-run mark, continuing his aggressive batting by thrashing Wood for boundaries in the 18th over: 4 4 6 4 4 4. However, Bumrah’s bouncer in the next over dismissed Pant, caught by Rohit Sharma at deep backward square leg.