Sandeep Lamichhane’s 3 for 36 jolts Mumbai Indian play-off berth

Sandeep Lamichhane whirls through his delivery. Photo courtesy: Cricinfo.com

KATHMANDU: Delhi Daredevil’s 17-year-old leg spinner Sandeep Lamichhane continued his impressive form with the ball as he picked up three Mumbai Indian’s scalps to prevent them from qualifying to the play-offs berth of this year’s IPL tournament.

Daredevil playing their last home game, pulled off a stunning 11 runs victory over Mumbai Indians and mustered five wins out of 14 matches of this year’s competition.

After winning the toss, Delhi scored 174 runs in their allotted 20 overs. Rishab Pant top scored for Delhi with his flamboyant knock of 64 runs off 44 deliveries with four cracking fours and four towering sixes.

In replay, Mumbai fell short of 11 runs to Delhi and failed to qualify for play-off with just six wins out of 14 matches this season. With this loss, Rajasthan Royals made it to the play-offs.

Lamichhane opened the bowling and conceded four and six runs of the first two balls and another two runs before unleashing a lethal googly on leg which coaxed inform right handed batsman Surya Kumar Yadav to hole out at long on region.

With high in confidence, Lamichhane bamboozled batsmen Kieron Pollard and Krunal Pandaya with his googly, both caught at outfield in the 10 overs. Leggie’s twin strike rattled Mumbai Indian’s to 80-5 at the half way stage in their innings.

West Indian Elvin Lewis top scored for MI with 48 runs and late cameo from Ben Cutting 37 in 20 balls that studded three sixes and two fours.

With Cutting at the crease in the last over MI still needed18 off six balls, Ben hammered first ball over deep mid wicket region and perished in the next balls with 12 required off next four balls.

However, Mumbai Indian lost remaining two wickets in next two balls to capitulate the tie to the superior Dehli Daredevils languishing in the bottom of the eight teams table.

Lamichhane scalped three important Mumbai Indian’s wickets in his 4 overs spell, however, conceded 36 runs at economic rate of 9.00 per overs.

It was a must win game for Mumbai as play-off berth was stake where as for Delhi it was a match for savoring pride in this year’s IPL.

Earlier, Lamichhane was left out in early stage of the competition, however, at the latter stage of the tournament, he has featured in the last three games of the campaign.

Nepal’s leg spinner Sandeep Lamichhane picked up five-wicket in three games of this year’s Indian Premier League tournament.

After making IPL debut against Birat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore, Lamichhane picked the maiden wicket of left handed batsman Parthiv Patel trapped leg before the wicket with impressive figure of 4-0-24-1.

Lamichhane continued that wicket taking momentum against the Chennai Super Kings and picked the wicket of another left handed batsman Suresh Raina caught on the mid wicket boundary. He returned with the figure of 4-0-21-1.

Nepali bowler Lamichhane also won the stylish player of the match against CSK and collected purse of INRs 1,00,000.

Delhi Daredevils had brought Sandeep Lamichhane for the base price of INRs 20 lakhs for this year’s IPL tournament.

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