EAST LONDON: The Delhi Daredevils won their sixth straight match to go top of the Indian Premier League, beating Mumbai Indians by seven wickets after Rajat Bhatia took three wickets and A.B de Villiers hit 50 not out Friday.

Bhatia claimed 3-15 in four overs, while opening bowlers Dirk Nannes and Ashish Nehra took two wickets apiece at Buffalo Park to bowl out Mumbai for 116.

"It was very important to carry the momentum. Once you lose the momentum, it's very difficult to get it back," said Delhi stand-in captain Gautam Gambhir, before referring to injured regular captain Virender Sehwag.

"We know we are on top of the table now. We don't want to rush him because there are still important games ahead." Mumbai's collapse started when it lost openers Luke Ronchi and J.P. Duminy for ducks in the first over from Nannes, a 32-year-old Australian left-arm fast bowler who extracted good bounce and movement at pace in his first spell.

Then chasing, Delhi was given a few anxious momments by fast bowler Lasith Malinga, who bowled quick and on a good length.

Openers David Warner and Gambhir put on 42 before Warner missed a ball from Duminy and was stumped for 21 by Pinal Shah.

Four runs later, Gambhir charged down the wicket to offspinner Harbhajan Singh and was caught by Ronchi in the deep for 19.

But De Villiers steadied the chase, cracking six boundaries and a six in 38 balls and dominating a third-wicket stand of 61 with Tillakaratne Dilshan (17 off 19 balls).

Dilshan was dismissed in the 18th over after edging Malinga's full toss to Shah, but by then only 10 runs were required for victory.

De Villiers and Dinesh Karthik, who ended unbeaten on 5, took Delhi home with seven balls to spare.

Mumbai captain Sachin Tendulkar said his team made it hard for itself with a paltry total.

"We didn't score enough," he said. "We bowled well, fielded well. I felt we didn't score enough runs."