Ishan Kishan scored 81 runs in 48 balls against Delhi Capitals to help Mumbai Indians put up 177 runs in the first innings at the Brabourne Stadium on Sunday. In response, Rishabh Pant and company were 115/6 after 14.1 overs. 

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Kishan justified his Rs 15.25 crore price tag at the mega-auction with 11 fours and two sixes against the Capitals. During his stay at the crease, the 23-year-old played a helicipter shot that reminded fans of MS Dhoni. 

Dhoni, who was in action on Saturday when the Chennai Super Kings took on the Kolkata Knight Riders, became the oldest batsman to score a half-century in IPL history. The 40-year-old made 50 runs off 38 balls. 

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After playing a second-fiddle to his skipper Rohit Sharma (41) inside the Power Play, Kishan came on his own to smash his third fifty in a row for MI, and 10th overall.

In the last over of the game, Delhi’s Shardul Thakur went for a yorker but missed the length to see Kishan flick the ball powerfully for a boundary at deep mid-wicket. 

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As soon as Kishan hit the helicopter shot, social media users compared him to Dhoni. 

Delhi put on the brakes in the middle overs, riding on Kuldeep Yadav’s fine bowling effort of 4-0-18-3 which included the prized wickets of Rohit and Kieron Pollard (3).

But Kishan held fort even as wickets fell around him before exploding in the death with Mumbai scoring 59 runs in the final five overs.

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Mumbai debutant Tilak Varma also impressed in his 22 off 15 balls, but it was the Jharkhand batter who stepped on the gas in the death overs and also displayed a helicopter shot to prop up the total.

Just when Mumbai were toying with the lacklustre Delhi pace attack, Kuldeep halted their run flow with his twin breakthroughs after the Power Play.