Image: Mumbai Indians crush Delhi Capitals to qualify for playoffs / © The Hindu
Mumbai Indians secured their place in the IPL 2025 playoffs with a commanding 59-run victory over Delhi Capitals at Wankhede Stadium on May 21, 2025, finishing their league stage with 8 wins, 5 losses, and 16 points from 13 matches. Their net run rate of 1.292, the highest among the top four, reflects their dominance, particularly in this crucial game.
Batting first after losing the toss, MI posted 180/5 in 20 overs, driven by a sensational unbeaten 73 off 43 balls from Suryakumar Yadav, who earned the Player of the Match award. His innings included 7 fours and 4 sixes, with 48 runs coming in the final two overs alongside Naman Dhir’s explosive 24 off 8 balls (2 fours, 2 sixes). This late surge transformed a modest 132/5 after 18 overs into a formidable total on a tricky, spin-friendly pitch.
MI’s innings began steadily with Ryan Rickelton scoring 25 off 18 balls, including two sixes, before falling to Kuldeep Yadav. Rohit Sharma (5 off 5) and Will Jacks (21 off 13, 3 fours, 1 six) fell early, leaving MI at 54/2 after the powerplay. Tilak Varma’s 27 off 27 balls was sluggish, and Hardik Pandya’s 3 off 6 didn’t help, but Suryakumar’s composure held the innings together. The pitch, with some grip and turn, made stroke-making tough, but MI’s decision to include Mitchell Santner (replacing Corbin Bosch) paid off later. The 19th and 20th overs, yielding 27 and 21 runs respectively, were game-changers, with Suryakumar’s 50 off 36 balls and Dhir’s aggression exploiting DC’s bowling lapses, particularly from Mukesh Kumar (4-0-48-2) and Dushmantha Chameera (4-0-54-1).
DC’s bowling had moments of promise but unravelled late. Kuldeep Yadav (1 for 22) and Vipraj Nigam (0 for 25) were economical, restricting MI to 132/5 after 18 overs, but Mukesh Kumar’s and Chameera’s were expensive, leaking 48 runs in the last two overs. Mustafizur Rahman (1 for 30) dismissed Rohit early, but DC’s inability to close out the innings cost them. The absence of Axar, a key spinner, was felt on a turning track, as du Plessis noted post-match. They became the first IPL team to miss the playoffs after winning their first four matches.
Delhi Capitals’ IPL 2025 campaign ended in disappointment as they were bowled out for 121 in 18.2 overs, losing by 59 runs to Mumbai Indians on May 21, 2025, at Wankhede Stadium. Chasing 181, DC needed a strong start but faltered early, losing key wickets in the powerplay and struggling against MI’s spin and pace on a pitch that favoured slower bowling. DC’s batting, despite a late fight from Sameer Rizvi (39 off 35, 6 fours, 1 six) and Vipraj Nigam (20 off 11, 3 fours, 1 six), lacked the firepower to counter MI’s disciplined attack.
DC’s chase began with KL Rahul, substituted as an Impact Player for Mukesh Kumar, and stand-in captain Faf du Plessis, filling in for an ill Axar Patel. Rahul scored 11 off 6 (2 fours) before edging Boult to the keeper, while du Plessis’ 6 off 7 ended with a tame lob to Santner off Chahar. Abishek Porel (6 off 9) was stumped by Jacks, leaving DC at 43/3 after 5 overs. Nigam’s aggressive 20, including 14 runs off three balls against Jacks, provided a brief spark, but Santner’s brilliance dismissed him via a return catch.
Rizvi’s 39, with elegant wristwork, kept DC alive, but his dismissal, bowled by Santner, triggered a collapse. Ashutosh Sharma (18 off 16, 1 four, 1 six) and debutant Madhav Tiwari (3 off 4) couldn’t sustain the fight, with Bumrah’s slower yorker cleaning up Tiwari. Kuldeep Yadav (7 off 8) and Chameera (7 off 9) offered little resistance, and Mustafizur’s duck sealed DC’s fate.
In bowling, MI were clinical, led by Jasprit Bumrah’s 3 for 11 in 3.2 overs, including a searing yorker to dismiss Mustafizur Rahman and end DC’s innings at 121 in 18.2 overs. Santner was equally brilliant, taking 3 for 11 in 4 overs, dismantling DC’s middle order with spin and guile. Trent Boult (1 for 29) and Deepak Chahar (1 for 22) struck early, removing KL Rahul (11 off 6) and Faf du Plessis (6 off 7), respectively, to set the tone. Will Jacks chipped in with a stumping of Abishek Porel, while Karn Sharma, the Impact Substitute for Rohit Sharma, took 1 for 31, including Kuldeep Yadav’s wicket. MI’s fielding, despite a dropped catch by Rohit, was sharp, and their bowling attack capitalized on the pitch’s sluggish nature, making 180 look like 200.
The IPL 2025 points table, post the MI vs DC match on May 21, 2025, sees Gujarat Titans leading with 18 points from 12 matches (9 wins, 3 losses, NRR 0.795), favored for the top spot with two home games left. Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings, both with 17 points from 12 matches (8 wins, 3 losses, 1 no-result), hold second and third places with NRRs of 0.482 and 0.389, respectively, locked in a tight race for the second spot.
Mumbai Indians, now fourth with 16 points from 13 matches (8 wins, 5 losses, NRR 1.292), have secured their playoff berth. Delhi Capitals, with 13 points from 13 matches (6 wins, 6 losses, NRR -0.019), are out of contention. Kolkata Knight Riders (12 points), Lucknow Super Giants (10 points), Sunrisers Hyderabad (9 points), Rajasthan Royals (8 points), and Chennai Super Kings (6 points) complete the table, with only the top four advancing.
Being termed as the TCNI’s Magic Moment of the Game and the over that eventually swung the momentum for Mumbai Indians. Mukesh Kumar’s 19th over on May 21, 2025, at Wankhede Stadium proved to be a game-changer in their IPL 2025 clash against Delhi Capitals. With MI at 132/5 after 18 overs, struggling on a sluggish pitch, this over yielded a massive 27 runs, propelling them to 159/5. Suryakumar Yadav ignited the surge with a stunning six off a mistimed wide yorker, reaching his fifty (52 off 37, 5 fours, 2 sixes).
Mukesh faltered as Naman Dhir capitalized, smashing two sixes, a flicked shot off a leg-stump slot ball and a muscled slower bouncer over long-on despite a fielder’s effort. Dhir also struck two fours, one crashing over extra cover and another scorching past it, finishing with 24 off 8 (2 fours, 2 sixes). Mukesh’s figures ballooned to 4-0-48-2, as his inability to nail yorkers cost DC dearly. This explosive over, fueled by Suryakumar’s composure and Dhir’s aggression, transformed MI’s total, setting a challenging 180/5. It shifted the game’s complexion, giving MI’s bowlers, led by Bumrah and Santner, enough to defend, securing a 59-run win and playoff qualification.
For the fans, the True TCNI’s Hero of the Day has to be Suryakumar Yadav, whose sensational 73 not out off 43 balls powered Mumbai Indians to a match-winning 180/5 against Delhi Capitals on May 21, 2025, at Wankhede Stadium. On a tricky, spin-friendly pitch, Suryakumar’s knock was a game-changer, earning him the Player of the Match award. Starting cautiously, he anchored MI’s innings after early losses, reaching 28 off 22 by the 14th over.
But it was his late fireworks that stole the show. In the 19th over, he smashed a six off Mukesh Kumar to reach his fifty (52 off 37, 5 fours, 2 sixes), and in the 20th over, he unleashed two more sixes and two fours off Dushmantha Chameera, finishing with 7 fours and 4 sixes. His 48 runs in the last two overs, alongside Naman Dhir’s 24 off 8, turned a modest 132/5 into a daunting total. Suryakumar’s composure under pressure, especially after Tilak Varma’s slow 27, and his ability to exploit loose deliveries were key.