Mumbai Indians End Delhi Capitals' winning streak
The Mumbai Indians secured a remarkable victory against the previously undefeated Delhi Capitals on Monday, ending their perfect start to the 2025 Indian Premier League season in a thrilling encounter. Despite a sensational comeback innings from Delhi's Karun Nair, Mumbai clinched the match by 12 runs following a dramatic late collapse from the home side at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, punctuated by a series of run-outs.
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Tilak Varma Anchors Mumbai Innings
Asked to bat first, Mumbai Indians posted a competitive total of 205, although the innings had fluctuating momentum. Tilak Varma played a crucial role, scoring 59 off 43 balls – his first half-century in a winning cause for MI – providing stability through the middle stages. After losing key wickets, including Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya close together, Naman Dhir provided a vital late impetus with an aggressive 38 off just 17 balls. His partnership with Tilak helped MI recover and push towards a strong score, despite effective bowling from Delhi's wrist-spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Vipraj Nigam, who shared four wickets.
Karun Nair's Comeback
Delhi Capitals' chase of 206 was ignited by a truly outstanding innings from Karun Nair. Playing his first IPL match in three years and scoring his first fifty, Nair launched a stunning counter-attack after an early wicket fell. He scored a brilliant 89 off just 40 balls, dominating the MI attack, including Jasprit Bumrah, and single-handedly putting Delhi in a commanding position. His innings was a display of exceptional timing and placement.
Capitals Suffer Middle-Order Collapse
The complexion of the game changed dramatically following Nair's dismissal in the 13th over, deceived by a sharp turning delivery from Mitchell Santner. This wicket triggered a significant collapse. Axar Patel fell shortly after, and Impact Substitute Karn Sharma then made crucial breakthroughs for MI, claiming three vital wickets, including Tristan Stubbs and KL Rahul, as Delhi began to falter under pressure. The change of ball after 11 overs, permitted under new rules to counter dew, may also have assisted the Mumbai bowlers.
Late Run-Outs helped MI Win
Despite the collapse, Delhi remained in contention with Ashutosh Sharma at the crease. After a tight 17th over from Trent Boult, the pressure told dramatically in the penultimate over. A costly run-out dismissed Ashutosh Sharma while attempting a risky second run. Incredibly, this was followed by two more run-outs off the next two deliveries involving Kuldeep Yadav and Mohit Sharma, completing a hat-trick of run-outs and extinguishing Delhi's hopes. Mumbai Indians held on to secure only their second win in six matches, providing a much-needed boost to their campaign.
Though Karun Nair's batting seemed destined to guide Delhi Capitals to another victory, but a combination of crucial wickets from Karn Sharma and sequence of run-outs saw Mumbai Indians win.
