Delhi Daredevils 207-5 (Virender Sehwag 73, Kevin Pietersen 50*, Robin Peterson 3-37) beat Mumbai Indians 170-9 (Ambati Rayudu 62, Dinesh Karthik 40, Shahbaz Nadeem 2-35) by 37 runs.

The opening stand of 135 between Virender Sehwag and Mahela Jayawardene crushed the bowlers of Mumbai Indians as Delhi Daredevils clinched the match easily.

Delhi Daredevils hammered 207 runs with half of their wickets in hand in the allocated 20 overs and Mumbai Indians fell short of 38 runs to win the match with one wicket in hand.

Virender Sehwag (Delhi Daredevils) was declared ‘Player of the match’ for his powerful innings of 73 off just 39 balls.

The 36^th match of the Indian Premier League 2012 was played on Friday, April 27, 2012 at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi. The entire stadium was thrilled with the tremendous batting of their team and celebrated the victory over the strong Mumbai Indians.

Earlier, the captain of Mumbai Indians, Harbhajan Singh, won the toss and preferred to bowl first. The openers of Delhi Daredevils, Mahela Jayawardene and their skipper, Virender Sehwag entered in the park with different ideas and the first gathered 15 runs in the third over off Lasith Malings with three fours. That was the beginning of an assault as the boundaries started showering from the willows of both batsmen. Sehwag came at his own and dispatched 20 runs in the over nos. 6 and 7 with two fours and a six and got a life on the second ball of the 9^th over as Dinesh Karthik missed a stumping chance off Robin Peterson at 38 runs.

Sehwag butchered Kieron Pollard for 21 runs in the 11^th over with two huge sixes and even fours. He completed his fifty in the same over and the first hundred of the innings was also blasted in the same over. Jayawardene achieved his fifty on the on the fourth ball of the 13^th over and became the first victim after scoring 55 off 42 balls with 8 fours not before sharing a first wicket partnership of 135 runs in 13.1 overs.

Kevin Pietersen came in next and flourished 16 runs in the 15^th over with a couple of fours and a six as Virender Sehwag finally lost his wicket for 73 from just 39 deliveries with four skied sixes and 8 fours. There was a rain of boundaries from Pietersen who remained unbeaten for 50 off mere 26 balls with 3 lofty sixes and 6 fours as Delhi Daredevils smashed 207 runs for the loss of five wickets in 20 overs.

Robin Peterson was the highest wicket taker with three and Lasith Malinga ended up with two scalps.

Mumbai Indians had an awful start as they lost their top three wickets for just 19 runs in 3.1 overs which included Aiden Blizzard, Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma. Dinesh Kathik and Ambati Rayudu took charge of the situation and started the repair work with offence instead of defence. Karthik was most aggressive of the two and initiated with a couple of fours in the fourth over followed by three in the sixth.

Rayudu accelerated in the 9^th over with one six and a four and completed his fifty on the second ball of the 12^th over with back to back sixes. The first hundred of the innings was also completed in the same over but Karthik was clean bowled by Ajit Agarkar for 40 off 28 balls with 7 fours in the following over. The fourth wicket associated for 96 valuable runs in 9.4 overs and the Delhi Daredevil bowlers tightened the screws thereafter.

Ambati Rayudu was the next batsman who went back to the pavilion after the addition of 24 runs for 62 off 39 deliveries with the assistance of 3 escalated sixes and 5 fours. The wickets scrambled thereafter with regular intervals and Mumbai Indians could reach at 170 runs for the loss of 9 wickets after the utilisation of the required quota of overs.

Irfan Pathan, Shahbaz Nadeem and Umseh Yadav were the main destructors with two wickets each as Morne Morkel and Ajit Agarkar chipped in with one wicket each.

Delhi Daredevils won the match easily in the end by 37 runs and have placed themselves at the top of the pool so far.

Points secured by the two teams after the end of the 36^th match of the IPL 2012:

Delhi Daredevils      – 12 from 8 games at a net run rate of +1.026.

Mumbai Indians       –  8 from 8 games at a net run rate of  – 0.305.