MI will next face RR in Guwahati on Tuesday, April 7.
Mumbai Indians were asked to bat first against Delhi Capitals in Delhi and posted 162/6 thanks to 51 by Suryakumar Yadav, 35 by Rohit Sharma, and 28 by Naman Dhir. In response, despite losing KL Rahul and Nitish Rana early, Pathum Nissanka (44) stabilized the innings, while Sameer Rizvi continued his purple patch with 90 in 51 balls with 7 fours and 7 sixes to his name.
David Miller’s 21* then ensured that DC reached the target in 18.1 overs and won the game by 6 wickets.
"I think the wicket was a little slow. I think the toss was crucial. I think there was a bit of moisture there. I wouldn't say it was slow; it was just that I think I could feel the moisture, and the toss was very crucial in this sense. That's why we were 10-15 runs short there," said Chahar at the post-match conference.
Deepak Chahar was also asked about Hardik Pandya’s unavailability for the DC game and whether it impacted MI's plans. Suryakumar Yadav, who captained the Mumbai Indians against DC, revealed at the toss that Hardik Pandya was unwell and hence missed the DC game.
Chahar admitted that the all-rounder's absence had an influence on the team. He said that defending a score of 160 in a day game was difficult without taking regular wickets, and Sameer Rizvi's good innings was the difference, remarking that the game may have been closer if they had dismissed him earlier.
"Yes, absolutely. I think he was sick; that's why he couldn't play. Hopefully, he'll play in the next game. Yes, we were short because defending 160 in an afternoon game is a bit difficult, and to defend 160, you have to take consistent wickets. Rizvi played really well. If we had gotten him out early, before 10 overs, the match would have been very interesting till the end," Chahar said.
Rizvi had also played a match-winning innings of 70* off 47 balls against Lucknow Super Giants in DC's first match of this IPL season.
"The potential was always there, and now with experience, he's become better. What I've seen in the IPL is that confidence is the key to success because everyone who's selected in the IPL has the skill. So, now I think he's become confident; you can see back-to-back he scored runs; he's gotten better and better. It's learning for everyone that skill doesn't matter; confidence matters. So, whoever gets a chance, like a lot of youngsters playing in this tournament, they should learn from him to get confident and keep winning matches for their team," Chahar said.
Rizvi was named Player of the Match for his match-winning performance, continuing his strong form this season.
(ANI inputs)