IPL 2025, MI vs DC: Suryakumar Yadav, Mitchell Santner secure playoffs spot for Mumbai Indians

Five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) sealed the last playoffs spot with a crushing 59-run victory against Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday. Chasing a 181-run target, DC were bundled out for 121 runs in 18.2 overs as MI put up a clinical display in their last match at their home ground this Indian Premier League (IPL) season.

Here are the five points that were pivotal in Mumbai Indians sealing the last playoffs spot:

Rohit Sharma’s poor run continues:

Rohit Sharma was packed for run-a-ball 5 by Mustafizur Rahman (BCCI Photo)

Rohit Sharma was playing his first match at the Wankhede since the inauguration of his stand last weekend. But that didn’t change his fortunes with the bat as the former MI captain fell for 5. But to add to his woes, Rohit once again fell to left-arm pacer, this time to Mustafizur Rahman, who had him caught behind by Abishek Porel. This was the eight instance that Rohit fell to left-arm seamers in overs 1-6 in the IPL since 2024.

SKY lights up the Mumbai sky:

Suryakumar Yadav smashed unbeaten 73 off 43 balls (BCCI Photo)

Suryakumar Yadav has been the highest run-scorer for Mumbai Indians this season. And SKY came good once again in a crunch game by smashing an unbeaten 73 off 43 balls with the help of four 6s and seven 4s. MI were 48/2 in the sixth over when SKY arrived at the crease on a slow pitch with some grip and hold in it. But SKY showed why he is regarded as one of the best T20 batsmen in the world by taking the attack to the DC bowlers.

SKY reached his fifty off 36 balls with a six off Mukesh Kumar and then combined with Naman Dhir to gather 48 runs off the last two overs, which took MI to 180/5 after being invited to bat first.

Naman Dhir’s late cameo:

Naman Dhir played some good cameos this season and MI needed him to come up with another one in this must-win game. SKY was going strong at one end but MI had lost Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya in quick session and needed someone to end the innings with a flourish. Naman Dhir proved to be the ideal foil for SKY as he smashed two sixes and the same number of fours in his unbeaten 24-run knock that came off just 8 deliveries.

DC’s woeful start:

Will Jacks and Trent Boult celebrate a wicket against Delhi Capitals (BCCI Photo)

With Axar Patel missing in the line-up, Delhi Capitals needed a strong start from their opening pair of stand-in captain Faf du Plessis and in-form batsman KL Rahul. But that was not to be as both the veterans fell in successive overs. Faf du Plessis (6) fell to Deepak Chahar caught by Mitchell Santner, while Rahul (11) went for a big shot against Trent Boult but edged the delivery for Ryan Rickelton to take the catch behind the stumps.

Mitchell Santner’s match-winning spell:

Spinners were always going to be a threat on the slow and sluggish Wankhede track and Kiwi tweaker Mitchell Santner exploited the conditions to the hilt. Santner first took a return catch to dismiss Vipraj Nigam cutting short his dangerous cameo (20 off 11) and then returned in the attack to get rid of Sameer Rizvi (39) and Ashutosh Sharma (18) in the same over to spin the match firmly in favour of Mumbai Indians, finishing his spell at 4-0-11-3.