IPL 2020, MI vs DC: 3 players who flopped | 11th October

When the Mumbai Indians (MI) needed 7 runs off 6 balls to beat the Delhi Capitals (DC) and move to the top of the points table of the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2020), Shreyas Iyer and Marcus Stoinis were involved in a lengthy conversation.

The Australian all-rounder had been tasked with the responsibility of bowling the final over, and he galloped in towards Krunal Pandya after painstakingly setting the field for minutes on end. Stoinis sprayed it onto the Baroda all-rounder's pads, and the ball trickled into the square-leg boundary.

The delivery may have proved to be inconsequential had it been accurate as well, but it epitomised a careless DC effort characterised by lapses in concentration. Marcus Stoinis, the culprit with the ball, was involved in an embarrassing run-out while trying to steal a run off a misfield in amateur fashion, while the DC bowlers dished out freebies with alarming regularity.

Despite their mistakes, however, Iyer's side managed to take the game into the final over, which showed how dangerous they can be as a unit. MI, on the other hand, put in another good - if slightly unconvincing - performance to move to the top of the IPL 2020 points table, courtesy of fifties from Quinton de Kock and Suryakumar Yadav.

Here are 3 players who flopped in the MI vs DC IPL 2020 game.

---

#3 Prithvi Shaw (DC)

Shaw fell to Trent Boult once again, albeit in a different format [PC: iplt20.com]

Prithvi Shaw was troubled by Trent Boult and Tim Southee during India's tour of New Zealand earlier this year, but a change in format and his own recent form pointed to him doing well for DC against MI.

Tasked with countering MI's pace trio of Jasprit Bumrah, James Pattinson and Boult, the DC opener could last only 3 balls at the crease. A boundary was followed by a gentle spoon with hard hands to cover, who gobbled up the sitter with ease.

Shaw has given his team excellent starts in the powerplay in IPL 2020, but that's two games in a row that he's thrown his wicket away with a careless shot. The 20-year-old was also a nightmare in the field as he committed a series of ridiculous errors - he misfielded a boundary, parried over a catch for a six, and failed to pick up the ball cleanly during a clear run-out opportunity.

Shaw was a major disappointment in the MI vs DC IPL 2020 game, and Shreyas Iyer needs him to display a higher level of consistency.

---

#2 Rohit Sharma (MI)

Rohit Sharma holed out in the deep in embarrassing fashion [PC: iplt20.com]

DC ended with a par total of 162/4, and MI would've wanted to get off to a start without incident. But Rohit Sharma, who holed out in the deep off Shreyas Gopal in his previous game, picked out Kagiso Rabada to perfection off Axar Patel.

The MI skipper has seen a fair share of criticism levelled towards him regarding his IPL form when compared to his international displays, and a couple of fifties early on in the tournament temporarily allayed some concerns. However, shots like this from Rohit - who was playing his 150th IPL game - do lead us to wonder whether he is a bit too casual at the IPL level.

Rohit could've taken on the pacers - against whom he is comfortable - or even Ravichandran Ashwin, who turns the ball into him. Attacking the in-form Axar Patel, who is on the back of a Man of the Match performance, was unwise to say the least. His day fast turned from memorable to sour, as he walked back for a 12-ball 5.

---

#1 Hardik Pandya (MI)

Marcus Stoinis sent back Hardik Pandya for a duck [PC: iplt20.com]

Another MI player who was celebrating a milestone today, birthday boy Hardik Pandya didn't have much to do in the field apart from an overthrow that angered his elder brother. The all-rounder hasn't bowled in IPL 2020 so far, with his recent back injury ensuring that he's playing in the MI line-up as a specialist batsman.

But while Pandya has shown flashes of his destructive best, he has flattered to deceive in this year's tournament. The 27-year-old walked in against DC with 5 overs left and 33 runs to get, with a fairly set Ishan Kishan at the other end. However, what followed was tragic to say the least.

Pandya played a loose drive off his second ball, nicking off against Stoinis to head back for a duck on his special day. His dismissal breathed life back into the contest, with the DC bowlers tightening the noose to take the game into the final over.

Also see:- IPL live score today

Rohit Sharma even claimed in the post-match presentation that MI weren't clinical while finishing the game, and Pandya's only role in the team is to ensure that he takes his team over the line. The Baroda man's performances will be under the scanner in the coming IPL 2020 games, but the fact that MI got across the line in their first successful chase this year without his contribution is certainly an encouraging sign.