MUMBAI: Romario Shepherd smashed 32 runs off the 20th over for Mumbai Indians to set up their first victory of this IPL season as they beat Delhi Capitals by 29 runs on Sunday.
The West Indies big-hitter crashed a 10-ball 39 in an unbeaten stand of 53 off 13 deliveries with Tim David, who struck 45, to steer Mumbai to 234-5 at their home Wankhede Stadium.
Delhi finished on 205-8 despite Tristan Stubbs’ unbeaten 25-ball 71. They slumped to the bottom of the 10-team table.
Five-time IPL winners Mumbai bounced back from their opening three losses in a relief for skipper Hardik Pandya, who has been booed by the fans on all venues after he replaced Rohit Sharma as captain ahead of this edition.
David smashed a six and four at the end of the 19th before Shepherd walloped Anrich Nortje for four sixes and two fours in the last over as Mumbai took 42 runs from the final eight balls.
Rohit (49) and Ishan Kishan (42) lay the foundations for the total in an 80-run opening stand before Axar Patel sent the two back in the pavilion with his left-arm spin.
Returning batsman Suryakumar Yadav, who missed the first three losses to an injury lay-off, survived a toe-crushing yorker by Nortje on his first ball and then miscued the next delivery to mid-on for a two-ball duck.
Mumbai lost another wicket before Pandya and David put on 60 to steady the innings and take the attack to the opposition ahead of Shepherd’s explosive knock.
In reply, Prithvi Shaw hit 66 in his attempt to set up the chase after he lost opening partner David Warner out for 10 off Shepherd’s seam bowling.
Shaw and the left-handed Abhishek Porel, who hit 41, put on 88 for the second wicket before Jasprit Bumrah removed both.
South Africa’s Stubbs pushed for some fight as he raised his fifty in 19 balls but the asking rate kept climbing and Gerald Coetzee took three wickets in the final over to return figures of 4-34.
Romario Shepherd blasts 32 in final over as Mumbai Indians take first IPL win
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Romario Shepherd blasts 32 in final over as Mumbai Indians take first IPL win
- Five-time IPL winners Mumbai bounced back from their opening three losses
Man United climb to third, Fulham sink sorry Spurs
- Red Devils have taken their tally to 19 points from a possible 21
LONDON: Benjamin Sesko stretched his hot streak with the winning goal as Manchester United beat Crystal Palace 2-1 to go third in the Premier League, while Tottenham failed to dispel relegation fears after defeat at Fulham.
Sesko was handed his first start in seven games since Michael Carrick took charge at Old Trafford and rewarded his boss with another vital goal to edge United closer to a return to the Champions League.
Palace had taken an early lead at Old Trafford when Maxence Lacroix outmuscled Leny Yoro to guide in a header from Brennan Johnson’s corner.
But United hit back to remain unbeaten under Carrick and take their tally to 19 points from a possible 21.
The game swung on one incident as Lacroix was sent off and conceded a penalty for pulling back Matheus Cunha just before the hour mark.
Bruno Fernandes confidently stroked the resulting spot kick past former teammate Dean Henderson.
Fernandes was then the creator for the second as his curling cross was powered in by Sesko.
The Slovenian has now scored seven times in his last eight appearances to quieten critics of his £74 million ($100 million) price tag after a slow start to his career in England.
Tottenham remain perilously poised just four points above the relegation zone as interim boss Igor Tudor again failed to halt their alarming slide after a 2-1 defeat at Craven Cottage.
Harry Wilson and Alex Iwobi gave Fulham a deserved half-time lead as they moved up to ninth and back into contention for European football next season.
Richarlison headed in a late consolation for Tottenham, but they remain the only Premier League side without a win in 2026.
The one crumb of comfort for Spurs was defeat for relegation rivals Nottingham Forest, 2-1 at Brighton.
All three goals arrived in the first 15 minutes as Diego Gomez and Danny Welbeck netted for the Seagulls either side of Morgan Gibbs-White’s reply.
Forest sit two points above the drop zone ahead of a daunting trip to Manchester City on Wednesday.
