Who Is Rasikh Salam Dar?

IPL 2024 is turning out to be a nightmare for the bowlers.

With flat pitches on offer combined with the Impact Rule, 200-plus totals are becoming a common sight this year.

The Delhi Capitals-Mumbai Indians game at the Arun Jaitley stadium in Delhi turned out be a run feast with 504 runs scored in total.

A look at the bowlers who did manage to shine among the ruins...

Rasikh Salam Dar

After going wicketless in J&K pacer Rasikh Salam Dar has bounced back in fine style with six wickets from the past two games.

Both the matches have seen batters plunder 200-plus totals, but Rasikh, 24, has held his own with the ball.

On a flat pitch at the Arun Jaitley stadium in Delhi, where more than 500 runs were scored, Delhi Capitals' move to bring in Rasikh as the Impact Player paid rich dividends. He emerged as the hero with the ball, with excellent figures of 3/34 in four overs, when more accomplished bowlers had been taken for runs.

Introduced in the 11th over, Rasikh started with a wide but did well to contain the dangerous duo of Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma, giving away just five runs in his first over.

Hardik threatened to get MI back in the contest, smashing 46 from 24 balls, before he was deceived completely by the slower ball from Rasikh and was caught at point. Two balls later, he got Nehal Wadhera caught behind for four with wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant taking a fine low catch behind the stumps.

Rasikh's figures read an incredible 2/12 in two overs to leave MI reeling on 141/5 in 13 overs.

Varma and Tim David kept MI's slim hopes alive with a late assault, hitting 46 from three overs, before Rasikh came back for his second spell. But still they couldn't get Rasikh away, who conceded just seven runs in the 17th over.

He took Mohammad Nabi's wicket in his final over and despite getting hit for a couple of sixes Rasikh was clearly the hero with the ball for the Delhi Capitals.

Khaleel Ahmed

Khaleel Ahmed got back to wicket ways with a fine spell against the Mumbai Indians, to take his tally to 12 wickets in IPL 2024.

Khaleel made an expensive start as he was carted for three fours in a row by Ishan Kishan, but he got back with the big wicket of Rohit Sharma in his second over.

The left-arm pacer dealt MI the biggest blow as he dismissed star batter Suryakumar Yadav with the last ball of his third over.

The world's leading batter in T20 cricket, Suryakumar was deceived by the change of pace as he chipped the slower ball from Khaleel straight to the fielder in the covers to fall for 26.

Even though he conceded 45 runs from his four overs, his two big strikes were instrumental in denting MI's hopes in the run chase.

Piyush Chawla

The veteran leg-spinner had a great season with the ball last year, taking 22 wickets in 16 games but this year he has struggled to make an impact.

Chawla was once again steady with the ball against Delhi but struck with an important wicket.

No MI bowler was able to keep the dashing Jake Fraser-McGurk in check. The young DC opener hammered his way to a sensational 84 from 27 balls, slamming six sixes and 11 fours, to give his team a flying start.

Chawla brought his team relief as he got Fraser-McGurk, who for once failed to time his lofted shot over midwicket. He had picked the googly but failed to get enough power in the heave and ended up holing out to Mohammad Nabi at deep mid wicket.

Fraser-McGurk's wicket helped MI seize back the momentum as DC could manage only 22 from the next three overs.

Jasprit Bumrah

Bumrah enjoyed a rude shock as he also came under attack from Fraser-McGurk.

The pacer started with a no ball which Fraser-McGurk smashed over long-on for a six and hammered the free hit delivery straight down the ground for a four. The right-hander then swatted the last ball of the over for a four as Bumrah was hit for 18 runs in his opening over to leave his team shell-shocked.

Bumrah came back well after that horror start. He gave away just three runs in his second over as Abishek Porel struggled to get him away in the final over of the Powerplay.

Bumrah got a taste of Rishabh Pant's batting magic as the left-hander flicked him for a six but the MI pacer still kept it down to nine runs in the 16th over.

He got his revenge in his final over as he had Pant caught at deep square leg after he mistimed a slower bouncer.

Delhi, despite having wickets in hand, were unable to get Bumrah away as they got just six from the 19th over.

Bumrah finished with 1/35 in four overs, making a good comeback after an expensive start to concede just 17 in his next three overs.

DC Vs MI? Who Bowled Best? Vote!

• IPL 2024

Photographs: BCCI