In the spring of 2017, Mumbai Indians didn’t just win—they rewrote the record books in Delhi with a battering that left Daredevils shell-shocked and the tournament reeling
On May 6th, 2017, the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium in Delhi thrummed with excitement. The Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) had just achieved their highest-ever IPL chase, riding a wave of confidence and high spirits.
Yet, lurking in the shadows were the Mumbai Indians, the formidable giants from the west, eager to shatter the Daredevils' dreams. They stormed onto the field with relentless determination. By the night's end, they had left a scorched scoreboard and a stunning record in their wake: a victory by 146 runs — a monumental triumph that became etched in IPL history as the largest win margin ever.
Lendl Simmons hadn't played a single game that season, and most fans had forgotten he was even in the squad. However, when he walked out to open the batting for MI, it felt like someone had turned back the clock.
Simmons rode the bounce, ducked, pulled, and powered his way to 66 off 43 balls. He struck 5 boundaries and 4 sixes, quietly laying the foundation. Parthiv Patel, his opening partner, contributed a steady 25. Together, they added 79 for the first wicket, providing Mumbai with the perfect platform.
Then enter Kieron Pollard. The big man was promoted to No. 3 in the batting order and brought the Caribbean thunder with him. For a brief moment, Amit Mishra kept things quiet, conceding just 7 runs in his first 2 overs. But then Pollard took charge.
Mishra's next over vanished quickly. Two sixes forced DD captain Zaheer Khan to reconsider his entire bowling strategy. As Mishra switched ends, the runs continued to flow. Pollard hit 4 sixes in total and remained unbeaten on 63 off just 35 deliveries. Hardik Pandya joined the party late, hammering 29 off 14 balls, while Mumbai closed out with an imposing total of 212 for 3.
Chasing 213 on paper wasn't impossible, especially for a side fresh from a record chase. But Delhi crumbled like a poorly baked cookie. Sanju Samson nicked off on the first ball, and Shreyas Iyer followed soon after. Rishabh Pant fell for a duck. By the end of the Powerplay, Delhi was 5 down for just 35.
The wickets kept tumbling. Lasith Malinga came in with his toe-crushers and pocketed 2 scalps for just 5 runs. Karn Sharma spun webs around the tailenders, finishing with 3 for 11. Harbhajan Singh did what he always does—trapping batsmen with guile and bounce, picking up three himself.
In less than 14 overs, Delhi were bundled out for just 66, marking their lowest-ever IPL total. The scoreboard was brutal, and the defeat was even more so. Delhi's innings lasted 64 minutes. Mumbai's bowling unit shared 9 of the 10 wickets between them, with only Pandya remaining wicketless.
