Suryakumar, Santner help MI seal IPL 2025 playoffs spot

Suryakumar Yadav and Naman Dhir smashed 48 off the last 12 balls, and Mitchell Santner rattled DC through the middle to power Mumbai Indians into the playoffs of IPL 2025. DC bowlers did a fine job for 18 overs of the game before Suryakumar and Dhir turned the tables violently. The MI bowlers, now aware of the tough conditions, were on the money from the start to keep the chasing side at bay all through. In the end, DC fell 59-run short of MI's 180/5, bringing a limp end to a campaign that began with four wins on the trot.

Where the game was won:

On a sluggish Wankhede surface, the game was won and lost in the period where the spinners operated. DC did well with the ball through Kuldeep Yadav and Vipraj Nigam as they kept a lid on the scoring but MI took wickets in hand into the death overs to eventually capitalise well. DC however, failed to do just that as they crumbled against Santner before the lower order had to fend against Bumrah & Co. at the death.

The middle-overs difference

PowerPlay: MI lose two in big start

Phase score - 54/2 [RR: 9.00, 4s/6s: 5/3]

For the eighth time since the start of IPL 2024, Rohit Sharma was dismissed by a left-arm pacer in the PowerPlay as he nicked one behind off Mustafizur Rahman in the third over. On either side of this over though, Mumbai Indians were sent soaring by Ryan Rickelton and Will Jacks. Rickelton first hit two successive sixes off Dushmantha Chameera in the second over and then Jacks laid into Vipraj Nigam and Mustafizur to get the hosts going. Mukesh Kumar however, ended the blitz with an off-cutter that Jacks mistimed and was caught by Nigam who back-pedalled from mid-off. Suryakumar Yadav sullied that good over from Mukesh with a four down the ground at the end of the PowerPlay.

Middle-overs: MI slowed down by spin

Phase score - 60/2 [RR: 6.67, 4s/6s: 3/2]

Kuldeep Yadav and Nigam bowled in tandem to dry up the boundaries after the former saw the back of Rickelton in the seventh over. The South African found the deep square leg fielder with his slog sweep, giving Kuldeep his 100th IPL wicket. The spin duo kept Suryakumar and Tilak Varma in check. Nigam didn't add to his wickets column but was immaculate through the middle, conceding just 25 in his four overs. Only in the 14th over, the MI duo took the team total past the 100-run mark. Through this period, Suryakumar crossed 25 for the 13th consecutive IPL innings, but the pressure of the dimmed scoring rate got to his batting partner, who tried and failed to clear the long-on fence against Mukesh.

Death-overs: Suryakumar, Dhir smash 48 in last 12

Phase score - 66/1 [RR: 13.2, 4s/6s: 6/5]

Kuldeep continued to stifle MI, giving away just four runs in his last over to finish with 1-22. That piled on the pressure again as Hardik Pandya fell in the next over. He targetted the straight boundary for a big heave but ended up outside-edging a slower one from Chameera to Mukesh at backward point. Mustafizur then closed out his spell well, but Suryakumar and Naman Dhir violently turned the tide with 48 runs off the last 12 balls. First came a 27-run over against Mukesh. Suryakumar started the onslaught with a first ball six to reach his half-century, before Dhir smashed two fours and two sixes in it. The carnage in the final over - from Chameera - was spearheaded by Suryakumar as he hit two fours and two sixes, pushing his team to 180/5.

Delhi Capitals

PowerPlay: Groggy start as three depart

Phase score - 49/3 [RR: 8.17, 4s/6s: 7/1]

Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult and Will Jacks carried the momentum gained in the last two overs of the batting innings into the bowling PowerPlay as they struck thrice. Change of pace was still the currency on this Wankhede surface that had moisture underneath due to the rain in the days leading up to the game. Chahar dismissed Faf du Plessis with a knuckle ball, getting him to hit one to long-on. Rahul then fell trying a wild swipe at a scrambled seam delivery from Boult, edging behind. Will Jacks then added to his collection of left-handers for wickets, luring Abishek Porel to get stumped in the fifth over. Vipraj Nigam walked out with the intention of pushing the pressure back on the hosts as he swung for the fences in the same Jacks over, hitting one six and two fours.

Middle-overs: Santner derails DC

Phase score - 56/4 [RR: 6.22, 4s/6s: 6/2]

Nigam and Sameer Rizvi gave some fleeting hope of two young Indians rescuing DC from the doldrums but that was not to be. Mitchell Santner - back in the side for Corbin Bosch - sent Nigam packing in the eighth over for an enterprising 11-ball 20. On a surface that was assisting spin, Santner was expectedly tough to put away as the DC middle-order experienced first hand. Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah rocked up after the PowerPlay, and made the most sizable dent for that stage of the chase as he trapped Tristan Stubbs leg before. Ashutosh Sharma had to answer yet another SOS call from his franchise but there was too much left to be done as he walked out at 65 for 5 in the 10th over. He and Sameer Rizvi attempted to keep the chase alive but Santner ended that endeavour in a double-wicket 15th over. Rizvi was bowled trying to play an expansive sweep shot while Ashutosh was undone by the left-armer's angle and the steep turn to get stumped.

Death-overs: Bumrah seals the deal

Phase score -16/3 [RR: 4.8, 4s/6s: 0/0]

DC entered the death overs needing 76 off 30 balls with only the lower-order to bat. It took Bumrah and Karn Sharma just 20 deliveries to bring down the curtains on the chase that had already meandered well off-course in the middle overs. In the end, DC folded for just 121, with Bumrah picking two of the last three wickets.

Brief Scores: Mumbai Indians 180/5 in 20 overs (Suryakumar Yadav 73*, Tilak Varma 27, Ryan Rickelton 25, Naman Dhir 24*; Mukesh Kumar 2-48, Kuldeep Yadav 1-22) beat Delhi Capitals 121 in 18.2 overs (Sameer Rizvi 39; Mitchell Santner 3/11, Jasprit Bumrah 3/12) by 59 runs

What next?

DC have one last game to go where they could attempt to ruin PBKS' hopes of finishing in top-two when they play them in Jaipur on May 24. The five-time champions also head to Jaipur where they too face PBKS, on May 26 with similar intentions.