Mumbai Indians (MI) registered a nervy 12-run victory over Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday (April 13), a result that helped the five-time champions get their IPL 2025 campaign back on track.
Chasing 206 to win, the Capitals were cruising at 119/1 in 10.1 overs, needing 87 runs to win from 59 balls. However, they ended up losing five wickets in as many overs and were reduced to 160/6 in 15.3 overs. The game ended dramatically as three consecutive run-outs in the penultimate over got DC bowled out for 193.
Karun Nair’s dismissal on 89 (40 balls) was the turning point of the match. The right-hander looked determined to finish the chase all by himself, but Mitchell Santner produced a peach of a delivery to send him back to the pavilion in the 12th over.
After the game, former India spinner Harbhajan Singh lauded Rohit Sharma for making the decisive tactical move in the match.
For the unversed, Rohit played a masterstroke from the dugout. In the 14th over, the former skipper signalled to Karn from the dugout, asking him to opt for a change in the ball. As per the new rules introduced by the BCCI, teams can ask for a ball change in the second innings after the 10th over to negate the impact of dew.
The visitors got the ball changed, which led to Karn claiming the scalp of Tristan Stubbs. An over later, the leg-spinner got the better of KL Rahul, which was a body blow to DC’s hopes. Vipraj Nigam and Ashutosh Sharma tried to take Delhi over the line, but it was not to be, as the hosts suffered three consecutive run-outs in the 19th over.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Harbhajan claimed that MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene was not on the same page with Rohit’s tactic to ask for a ball change and utilize spinners towards the latter phase of DC’s innings.
"Rohit Sharma played the masterstroke. He asked the head coach, Mahela Jayawardene, to employ spinners and bring Karn Sharma into the attack. Mahela Jayawardene refused to listen to Rohit and wasn't on board with the decision. If they had gone with what Jayawardene had to say, the Mumbai Indians would have also lost this game. Rohit Sharma was there, he had the best move. He is the captain. He always thinks like a captain. A captain is always the captain, and his tactical acumen helped Mumbai win," Harbhajan said.
"Karn Sharma came into the attack and took three wickets, turning the game's tide. It was a gold move. This wouldn't have happened when Tilak Varma retired against Lucknow and Mitchell Santner was sent in if Rohit Sharma had been in the dugout. Mahela Jayawardene made a bad move. Rohit was incredible against Delhi Capitals. Sometimes, the coaches must keep their egos aside and consider how the team can benefit. I hope Rohit Sharma keeps sharing his inputs from the dugout," he added.
Harbhajan called the contest between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals "incredible", saying everyone must have enjoyed it.
"The match between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals was incredible. Everyone got their money's worth. Mumbai Indians controlled their nerves and defended the 205-run total," Harbhajan stated.
"This win will give them confidence and self-belief. This is a big win. Karun Nair was going strong as he was going after the bowlers. No one could stop him, and like wildfire, he kept on spreading," he further remarked.
