Vijay Hazare Trophy: Shaw, bowlers set up Mumbai's win over Delhi

Shardul Thakur, after being released from India’s Test squad, did not feature in Mumbai’s Vijay Hazare Trophy opener versus Delhi. But Mumbai didn’t miss him at all at the Jaipur Vidhyalaya Ground in Jaipur.

Riding on a combination of tight bowling, suicidal running between the wickets by the Delhi openers and a scintillating hundred by opening batsman Prithvi Shaw (105 n.o., 89b, 15x4, 2x6), Mumbai opened its campaign with a thumping seven-wicket win with more than 18 overs to spare against the old nemesis.

After the Delhi openers committed hara-kiri to be run out for a blob, Dhawal Kulkarni made a contribution of note for the first time to help Mumbai restrict Delhi to 211 for seven. The mediocre total was never going to be enough to challenge a power-packed Mumbai line-up.

Despite left-handed Yashasvi Jaiswal falling cheaply to Shivank Vashisht, Shaw made a mockery of the Delhi pacers, with valuable support from captain Shreyas Iyer (39, 39b, 6x4, 1x6) and Suryakumar Yadav (50, 33b, 6x4, 2x6).

While Shaw was in a marauding mood to begin his quest to regain his place in India’s squad, Yadav celebrated his maiden call-up to India’s squad with a quickfire fifty. As a result, Mumbai sailed over the line in the 32nd over of the chase.

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Shaw’s showmanship overshadowed Delhi No. 3 Himmat Singh’s fighting hundred (106 n.o., 145b, 6x4, 2x6). Had it not been for his 122-run partnership for the seventh wicket with Vashisht (55, 70b, 6x4), Delhi would have struggled to even reach the three-figure mark.

Both the Delhi openers, Anuj Rawat (square off the wicket by Yashasvi Jaiswal) and Shikhar Dhawan (one-handed flick by Tushar Deshpande at mid-on), threw their wickets away for a blob in the first two overs.

Kulkarni then ran through the middle order to leave Delhi in tatters at 32 for six in the 19th over. The writing was clear on the wall then itself.