In a thrilling IPL encounter at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Mumbai Indians (MI) staged a spectacular comeback to beat Delhi Capitals (DC) by 12 runs on Sunday, securing only their second win of the season. The odds were heavily stacked against MI when DC surged to 113/1 at the halfway mark of their 206-run chase, but a late collapse and superb fielding effort helped MI turn the tide dramatically.

After posting a commanding 205/5, thanks to Tilak Varma’s breezy 59 and Ryan Rickelton’s 41, MI looked vulnerable when Karun Nair, playing his first IPL match of the season, launched a stunning counterattack. His 89-run knock off 39 balls dazzled the home crowd and put Delhi in firm control. However, MI clawed their way back into the contest with disciplined bowling and brilliant fielding. Karn Sharma (3/36) and Mitchell Santner (2/43) played pivotal roles in dismantling the Delhi batting lineup, who eventually crumbled to 193 all out in 19 overs.

The game’s momentum swung multiple times, but MI’s composure during the final overs sealed a memorable victory. Karun’s onslaught made the target look within easy reach, but MI’s bowlers tightened the screws after his dismissal, as DC lost five wickets in just six overs after the 10th.

Delhi’s chase got off to a shaky start with Jake Fraser-McGurk falling to Deepak Chahar on the first ball, chipping one straight to cover. But Karun quickly shifted the pressure back on MI with an array of stylish strokes. He punished Trent Boult with three exquisite boundaries—two through the off-side and one driven straight past mid-off. Jasprit Bumrah was introduced early but proved expensive, as Karun hammered him over cover and split the field with another four.

Karun’s whirlwind fifty came up in just 22 balls, and he didn’t slow down. He scooped Hardik Pandya for six and swept Karn Sharma for another maximum. As boundaries kept flowing, Abishek Porel supported him well before he perished attempting a slog sweep off Karn.

Though Karun kept the scoreboard ticking with innovative strokes, Santner eventually broke through by bowling him with a ball that spun sharply past his bat. This dismissal changed the tone of the match completely.

Bumrah then dismissed Axar Patel cheaply, and MI struck immediately after the ball was changed post the 13th over. Tristan Stubbs holed out to long-on off Karn, and KL Rahul’s mistimed sweep resulted in a simple return catch, also to Karn, who was on fire.

With the equation down to 42 needed off 24 balls, MI turned to Boult who delivered a masterclass in death bowling. He conceded just three runs in the 17th over by landing precise yorkers. Santner came back in the 18th, and though Vipraj Nigam danced down the track for a six and a four, Santner responded by having him stumped, halting DC’s charge.

Ashutosh Sharma offered a final flicker of hope, reverse-scooping Bumrah for back-to-back fours. But MI held their nerve, and a flurry of chaotic run-outs—including Ashutosh, Kuldeep Yadav, and Mohit Sharma in consecutive deliveries—wrapped up the game for MI in dramatic fashion.

Earlier, MI’s batting effort was led by Tilak Varma’s classy 59 off 33 balls—his second half-century this season. He found consistent support from opener Ryan Rickelton and later Naman Dhir, who remained unbeaten on 38 and provided a strong finish to the innings.

Rickelton got MI off to a flyer with a series of flicks and drives, while Rohit Sharma joined the party with a top-edged six followed by elegant strokes through the off-side. The third over yielded 19 runs as MI stamped their early authority. But Rohit was dismissed attempting a slog-sweep off Vipraj Nigam, triggering a minor slowdown.

Rickelton continued to bat fluently, even as Suryakumar Yadav entered and made his presence felt with a trademark flicked six and a series of sweeps that pierced the field. However, Rickelton’s promising innings ended when Kuldeep Yadav’s googly disturbed his stumps.

Tilak Varma then took center stage, pulling, lofting, and reverse-sweeping his way to a quickfire fifty. Suryakumar too looked dangerous but fell to a well-flighted delivery from Kuldeep. Hardik Pandya failed to get going and was dismissed cheaply by Nigam.

Despite those setbacks, Tilak and Dhir built a late charge. They took apart Mohit Sharma and Mitchell Starc with clever strokes. Dhir in particular played two gorgeous whip shots for consecutive fours off Starc, while Tilak scooped and sliced Mukesh Kumar to keep the scoreboard racing.

Tilak got a life on 54 when a mix-up in the field allowed a catch to go down, and Axar Patel missed a run-out chance shortly after. Even though he eventually holed out to deep mid-wicket, the damage was done—MI had crossed 200.

For Delhi, the bowling was expensive across the board, with only Kuldeep Yadav (2/23) managing some control. Vipraj Nigam picked up two wickets but was expensive at the death. The others, including Starc and Mukesh, couldn’t rein in the run flow.

In the end, MI’s 205 proved just enough, aided by their sharp fielding, key breakthroughs at the right time, and an inspired finish. DC, despite Karun Nair’s brilliance, paid the price for a dramatic collapse and misjudged run-outs.

Brief Scores:
Mumbai Indians 205/5 (Tilak Varma 59, Ryan Rickelton 41; Kuldeep Yadav 2-23, Vipraj Nigam 2-41)
Delhi Capitals 193 all out in 19 overs (Karun Nair 89, Abishek Porel 33; Karn Sharma 3-36, Mitchell Santner 2-43)
Result: Mumbai Indians won by 12 runs

IPL Points Table 2025