As it happened - Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians, IPL 2022

Axar hits the winning runs by helping Bumrah along to the fine leg boundary. Mumbai Indians are now winless in an IPL opener since 2012. Bumrah's figures read a forgettable 3.2-0-43-0. Capitals needed 75 off 42 at one point. When Shardul Thakur became the sixth wicket to fall soon after, it appeared as if their hopes had faded. But they weren't done yet.

The secret to Axar and Lalit's partnership was their shot-making wasn't based on premeditation. It was on the basis of the simple belief that they can back themselves to react and execute shots on merit. And without really swinging hard, they efficiently brought up a half-century stand.In winning the game from a seemingly difficult situation, Capitals have already exhibited tremendous depth. Can only imagine how much of a boost it will be when they welcome back the likes of Warner, Mitch Maesh and Nortje. All others, watch out. The Capitals are rocking.

It's been a forgettable outing so far for Bumrah. His first three overs have gone for 38. The surface hasn't given him much, and Axar-Lalit have feasted on his inconsistency. Their enterprising little partnership has breathed life into the chase. Axar raises the half-century stand with a swivel-pull that has been sent deep into the stands. Capitals need 22 off 17

On the back of a double-wicket over from Basil Thampi, Capitals couldn't have asked for a better follow-up. Shardul Thakur, who has come in at No. 7, is looking good as he takes on Jasprit Bumrah.

Bumrah's two wicketless overs have so far gone for 23. Shardul has raced to 22 off 10, Capitals need 75 off 42. Don't count them out just yet.

With three early losses, Prithvi Shaw was key for the Capitals. He started in sparkling fashion. The nonchalance, hand-eye coordination and the punch in his batting was for all to see. He was particularly severe on Daniel Sams, who he shared the dressing room with until a couple of years ago. He also took a liking to Tymal Mills and his short ball, feasting on pull shots for six. But he's gone now, courtesy Ishan Kishan's brilliance.

After his 81 not out, he was off the field to nurse a bruised toe, with young Uttar Pradesh wicketkeeper Aryan Juyal substituting for him. Within five minutes of him returning, Kishan has made a mark again. Sprinting back to a swirler, he holds his composure, judges the trajectory and puts in a full-length dive to pouch Shaw for 38 un the 10th over. Capitals 72/4.

Tim Seifert goes Bam! Coming into this game, he'd featured in all of two IPL games for Kolkata Knight Riders. The unavailability of a slew of overseas stars for the Capitals has meant they've had to play both available overseas players. Seifert comes in and plays copybook cricket, in the process smacking Jasprit Bumrah fearlessly down the ground for two fours. The first was nearly six, and believe me it was no more than a punch on the up.

This ability to bash the ball - and his boyish looks - had earned Seifert a nickname from his Northern Districts team-mates, inspired by, of all things, The Flintstones.

Jasprit Bumrah's first over reads:

After Rohit and Kishan added 67 in just 8.2 overs, Mumbai kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Except, Kishan kept one end occupied. He brought up his half-century, with a six over deep midwicket off Axar Patel, in 34 balls before hitting two fours in three balls against Khaleel.

When Shardul went for the yorker in the final over, Kishan helicoptered him to wide mid-on for four. The next ball was a low full toss and was dispatched to deep square leg for another boundary. He finished on 81 not out off 48 balls, with 11 fours and two sixes.

Will that be enough? We will find out soon as Shashank Kishore takes over the reins.

Gaurav Sundararaman: One of the reasons Capitals invested in Khaleel Ahmed is because the numbers indicate he takes important/big wickets. Out of the 32 IPL wickets he has, 22 are of top-four batters. Among those are Prithvi Shaw (thrice), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Chris Gayle.

Brad Hogg had tweeted this after Pant had taken off Kuldeep after three overs. As soon as Pollard comes in, Pant brought Kuldeep back. And gave him a slip.

The fifth ball of the over Kuldeep bowled slightly short. Pollard went for the pull but wasn't in complete control. Tim Seifert at forward square leg flew to his left and plucked it with both hands. That's a big blow for Mumbai who were looking to finish strongly.

Tim David is the next batter, and Kuldeep has a slip and leg slip for him. David flicks the fuller delivery towards midwicket and gets off the mark; Kuldeep ends his spell with excellent figures of 4-0-18-3.

With two left-hand batters in Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma in the middle, Rishabh Pant thought it was a good opportunity to bowl an over or two of offspin. He brings on Lalit Yadav. Yadav concedes 11 off his first 11 balls before bowling a full toss to Kishan, which the batter drills to the long-on boundary.

From the other end, Varma pulls Khaleel for four to the fine-leg fence; a bit of Krunal Pandya in that shot. But on the very next ball, Varma is caught at third man as he attempts an upper cut. He falls for 22 off 15, which brings Kieron Pollard to the crease.

"He is very hungry," Shane Watson tells the TV commentators after Kuldeep dismisses Rohit.

Kuldeep hasn't been in great form in the last two-three years. Not only he was out of the Indian team, but he also couldn't find a place in Kolkata Knight Riders' XI, who have Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy in their ranks.

At Capitals, he is likely to get more game-time. In fact, here he has helped his side pull things back. After troubling Anmolpreet in his previous over, he tossed one up outside off. Anmolpreet tried to go aerial but ended up slicing it towards long-off. Lalit Yadav ran in a few steps and took the catch.

Kuldeep: 2 for 13 after three overs

... and lets out a roar. It wasn't his best delivery but in T20s, you probably get more wickets off bad balls than good balls. It was just short of length, Rohit rocked back and pulled it towards deep midwicket, where Rovman Powell was stationed. He ran in a couple of yards and grabbed it.

As per the new playing conditions, new batter Anmolpreet Singh faced the next ball. On his second ball, he got a leading edge to the left of the bowler. Kuldeep threw himself in the air, with an outstretched left hand, but it just evaded him. He then finished the over by beating Anmolpreet's outside edge with a wrong'un, almost squaring up the batter.

Khaleel started the sixth over with three dots to Rohit. On the fourth ball, Rohit, premeditatedly, moved towards the off stump and looked to lap it. Instead, he ended up hitting it straight towards Shardul Thakur at short fine leg but he put it down.

Rohit danced down the track next ball and smashed Khaleel through covers for four, bringing up the team’s fifty.

Mumbai 53/0 after powerplay

There was a tinge of green on the surface and Shardul Thakur started with two slips to Rohit Sharma. Third ball of the over he drifted down the leg side and Rohit clipped it to the fine-leg boundary. Three balls later, he bowled fuller outside off and Rohit launched him over wide long-off for a six.

That was a sign of things to come. On a pitch that offered little for the bowlers, Rohit and Ishan Kishan took full advantage of Capitals’ wayward bowling as their seamer bowled either too full or too short. In the first five overs, the Mumbai openers hit five fours and three sixes.

Tilak Varma, 19, is a hard-hitting left-hand batter from Hyderabad. Earlier this week, Mumbai's head coach Mahela Jayawardene called him a "massive talent". "I think we're very fortunate that we've been able to pick him at the auction," Jayawardene said. "He was an India U-19 player, we see a lot of potential in him."

In the recent Vijay Hazare Trophy, Varma struck 139 off 123 against Delhi. Before that, at the Syed Mushtaq Ali (T20) Trophy, he struck his 215 runs at a strike rate of 147.26.

Rishabh Pant has won the toss and he says that's the first box ticked. Capitals will be bowling first. Rohit too wanted to bowl first as it's a fresh surface and no one knows what to expect here. There is a slight tinge of green on the surface, so Rohit expects it to help seamers initially.

Here are the XIs:

Mumbai Indians 1 Ishan Kishan (wk), 2 Rohit Sharma (capt), 3 Tilak Varma, 4 Anmolpreet Singh, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Tim David, 7 Daniel Sams, 8 M Ashwin, 9 Tymal Mills, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Basil Thampi

Delhi Capitals 1 Prithvi Shaw, 2 Tim Seifert, 3 Mandeep Singh, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt, wk), 5 Rovman Powell, 6 Lalit Yadav, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Khaleel Ahmed, 11 Kamlesh Nagarkoti