It was a night of dominance at the Wankhede Stadium as Mumbai Indians not only stormed into the Indian Premier League 2025 playoffs with a commanding 59-run win but also ended Delhi Capitals' hopes of a maiden title this season. While Suryakumar Yadav’s unbeaten 73 off 43 balls was the headline act, former India cricketer Ajay Jadeja pointed to a lesser-heralded knock as the real game-changer. (Highlights)
“Surya played an exceptional knock, no doubt,” said Jadeja on JioHotstar. “But it was Naman Dhir who really turned the game around. He came in and smashed 24 runs off just eight balls, including three consecutive sixes, before SKY even got the strike in the 19th over. That changed everything.”
Put in to bat first, MI had a sluggish start. Kuldeep Yadav claimed his 100th IPL wicket by halting Ryan Rickelton’s promising start at 25 off 18 balls. Rohit Sharma endured another forgettable outing, managing just five runs and dropping a catch later in the field. Will Jacks too departed for 21, leaving MI wobbling at 130/4 after 18 overs.
Then came the onslaught. In just eight balls, Naman Dhir hammered 24 runs, helping Suryakumar to finish MI's innings in a challenging spot. The duo combined to score 48 runs in the last two overs, lifting MI to a total that had once seemed out of reach.
“In a game where MI were crawling at 130 after 18 overs, 48 off the final two completely turned the game on its head,” Jadeja added.
Delhi’s chase never really got going. Their top order collapsed within the powerplay and the rest followed quickly, as they were bundled out for just 121 in 18.2 overs. Jasprit Bumrah and Mitchell Santner picked up three wickets each, sealing the match with ease.
With this win, Mumbai Indians claimed the fourth and final playoff spot, keeping their dreams of a record sixth IPL title alive. For Delhi Capitals, their campaign ended in disappointment -- a harsh finish after a good start to the season that saw them register four straight wins.
