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Kuwait Times
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Kuwait Times
Suryakumar helps Mumbai crush Delhi to clinch playoff berth
Mumbai join Gujarat Titans, Royal Challengers and Punjab Kings for the battle MUMBAI: Suryakumar Yadav's unbeaten 73 and a late blitz by Naman Dhir powered Mumbai Indians into the Indian Premier League playoffs with a 59-run hammering of Delhi Capitals on Wednesday. In a two-way battle with Delhi for one play-off spot, Mumbai posted 180-5 and then bowled out the opposition for 121 in their home at the Wankhede Stadium. Mumbai's New Zealand spinner Mitchell Santner returned figures of 3-11 from his four overs. Pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah also took three wickets. 'I can throw them (Santner and Bumrah) the ball whenever I want,' Mumbai skipper Hardik Pandya said. 'They bring such control and perfection, which makes my job easy.' Five-time champions Mumbai have joined Gujarat Titans, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings as the top four teams that will battle for the title in the playoffs starting May 29. Delhi still have a match to go but can now only reach 15 points, while Mumbai have 16 points with one more game to play. Mumbai turned around their fortunes midway through the season after they started with four losses in their first five matches. They now count seven victories in their last eight outings. The final few games in the group phase will decide the play-off standings as the top two teams will have the advantage of having two shots at reaching the final on June 3. Put into bat, Mumbai recovered from a top-order wobble, including home hero Rohit Sharma falling for five, to bounce back in the second half of the innings. India's T20 skipper Suryakumar stood firm in his 43-ball knock laced with seven fours and four sixes, and Dhir boosted the total in his unbeaten eight-ball 24. Dhir hammered Mukesh Kumar for two fours and two sixes in a 27-run 19th over and Suryakumar then took on Sri Lankan quick Dushmantha Chameera to finish off with 21 runs in the 20th. 'Let it slip' 'We let it slip in the last two overs,' said Delhi's stand-in skipper Faf du Plessis, who led after regular captain Axar Patel fell ill. 'Momentum is a real thing in cricket. The way they counter-punched to get almost 50 in the last two overs, undoing the work of the first 17-18 overs. We lost that momentum.' Du Plessis said the team missed their Australian import Mitchell Starc, who did not return after the IPL resumed following the pause due to the conflict between India and Pakistan. The IPL restarted last Saturday with a revised schedule, which has forced overseas players to revisit their season plans. Tilak Varma contributed with 27 in a 55-run partnership with Suryakumar to lift Mumbai after their top three departed early. Rohit fell to Mustafizur Rahman in the third over, and was soon followed back into the clubhouse by Will Jacks and Ryan Rickelton. Rohit, who was recently honoured by having a stand in the stadium named after him, had some of his fans wearing whites in a tribute to the former captain's recent Test retirement. Delhi were never in the chase after Du Plessis fell for six in the second over. Former New Zealand international Trent Boult raised the noise of the home crowd when he got the in-form KL Rahul caught behind for 11 and soon Jacks sent back Abishek Porel for a single figures score. Wickets kept tumbling and Santner took two in one over to flatten the opposition batting, which lasted for just 18.2 overs. — AFP
Observer
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Observer
Suryakumar helps Mumbai crush Delhi to clinch playoff berth
MUMBAI: Suryakumar Yadav's unbeaten 73 and a late blitz by Naman Dhir powered Mumbai Indians into the Indian Premier League playoffs with a 59-run hammering of Delhi Capitals on Wednesday. In a two-way battle with Delhi for one play-off spot, Mumbai posted 180-5 and then bowled out the opposition for 121 in their home at the Wankhede Stadium. Mumbai's New Zealand spinner Mitchell Santner returned figures of 3-11 from his four overs. Pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah also took three wickets. "I can throw them (Santner and Bumrah) the ball whenever I want," Mumbai skipper Hardik Pandya said. "They bring such control and perfection, which makes my job easy." Five-time champions Mumbai have joined Gujarat Titans, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings as the top four teams that will battle for the title in the playoffs starting May 29. Delhi still have a match to go but can now only reach 15 points, while Mumbai have 16 points with one more game to play. Mumbai turned around their fortunes midway through the season after they started with four losses in their first five matches. They now count seven victories in their last eight outings. The final few games in the group phase will decide the play-off standings as the top two teams will have the advantage of having two shots at reaching the final on June 3. Put into bat, Mumbai recovered from a top-order wobble, including home hero Rohit Sharma falling for five, to bounce back in the second half of the innings. India's T20 skipper Suryakumar stood firm in his 43-ball knock laced with seven fours and four sixes, and Dhir boosted the total in his unbeaten eight-ball 24. Dhir hammered Mukesh Kumar for two fours and two sixes in a 27-run 19th over and Suryakumar then took on Sri Lankan quick Dushmantha Chameera to finish off with 21 runs in the 20th. 'LET IT SLIP' "We let it slip in the last two overs," said Delhi's stand-in skipper Faf du Plessis, who led after regular captain Axar Patel fell ill. "Momentum is a real thing in cricket. The way they counter-punched to get almost 50 in the last two overs, undoing the work of the first 17-18 overs. We lost that momentum." Du Plessis said the team missed their Australian import Mitchell Starc, who did not return after the IPL resumed following the pause due to the conflict between India and Pakistan. The IPL restarted last Saturday with a revised schedule, which has forced overseas players to revisit their season plans. Tilak Varma contributed with 27 in a 55-run partnership with Suryakumar to lift Mumbai after their top three departed early. Rohit fell to Mustafizur Rahman in the third over, and was soon followed back into the clubhouse by Will Jacks and Ryan Rickelton. Rohit, who was recently honoured by having a stand in the stadium named after him, had some of his fans wearing whites in a tribute to the former captain's recent Test retirement. Delhi were never in the chase after Du Plessis fell for six in the second over. Former New Zealand international Trent Boult raised the noise of the home crowd when he got the in-form KL Rahul caught behind for 11 and soon Jacks sent back Abishek Porel for a single figures score. Wickets kept tumbling and Santner took two in one over to flatten the opposition batting, which lasted for just 18.2 overs. — AFP
India Gazette
22-05-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
"If MI is playing, you should expect us to qualify": Naman Dhir confident of Mumbai's sixth IPL title
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 22 (ANI): Mumbai Indians (MI) all-rounder Naman Dhir expressed confidence in his team's chances of winning the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 after a crucial win against Delhi Capitals (DC). 'Yes, the team is very happy,' Dhir said at the post-match press conference. 'I guess if MI is playing, you should expect us to qualify for the playoffs. So we are looking forward to the next four games, to win and to win this tournament,' he was confident of winning MI's sixth IPL title. Dhir played a key role in MI's 59-run victory, smashing an unbeaten 24 off just 8 deliveries at the death, which included two fours and two sixes, lifting Mumbai to a competitive 180/5 in their 20 overs. With just one league game left against Punjab Kings (PBKS), Mumbai are now in the playoff mix. A finish in the top two would give them a huge advantage, allowing them to play in Qualifier 1. A win in that match would take them straight to the final. Delhi's bowlers lost control in the final overs. Mukesh Kumar gave away 27 runs in the second-last over, and Dushmantha Chameera conceded 21 in the final over, helping Mumbai set a challenging target of 181. The pitch wasn't easy for batting, but Suryakumar Yadav made it look simple with an unbeaten 73 off 43 balls, which included seven boundaries and four maximums. Mumbai Indians speedster Jasprit Bumrah and left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner's three-wicket haul bundled out the visitors Delhi Capitals for 121 runs as the hosts registered a 59-run victory at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday. With this win, Mumbai Indians became the fourth and final team to qualify for the IPL 2025 playoffs. The other three teams for the knockouts are Gujarat Titans, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Punjab Kings. In pursuit of 181 runs, the Delhi Capitals lost the first three wickets at just 27 runs. Faf du Plessis (6), KL Rahul (11), and Abhishek Porel (6) went back very cheaply. After the fall of three wickets at the end of five overs, the Capitals were 43/3 with Vipraj Nigam (15*) and Sameer Rizvi (4*) unbeaten on the crease. In the seventh over, the Du Plessis-led side completed the 50-run mark as Rizvi slammed a boundary on the bowling of right-arm seamer Jasprit Bumrah. At the score of 55, Vipraj Nigam (20 runs off 11 balls) was dismissed in the eighth over by left-arm spinner Mitchell fifth wicket of the Delhi innings fell in the 10th over at the score of 65 as Tristan Stubbs (2) was sent backIn the 14th over, the Delhi-based franchise crossed the 100-run mark for the team. After completing 100 runs, inside eight runs, the Delhi franchise lost three wickets of Rizvi (39), Ashutosh Sharma (18), and Madhav Tiwari (3). After the fall of eight wickets, the Delhi side were 108/8 in 15.3 overs. The duo of Dushmanth Chameera and Kuldeep Yadav put on 12 runs before the latter (7) was dismissed in the 18th over by leg-spinner Karn Sharma. The Capitals were bundled out at 121 runs as Mustafizur Rehman was cleaned up by Jasprit Bumrah in the penultimate over (19th over) of the innings. For the Hardik Pandya-led side, three wickets each were snapped by Jasprit Bumrah (3/12 in 3.2 overs) and Mitchell Santner (3/11 in 4 overs), and one wicket each was grabbed by Trent Boult (1/29 in 3 overs), Deepak Chahar (1/22 in 3 overs), Will Jacks (1/16 in 1 over), and Karn Sharma (1/31 in 3 overs) in their respective spells. (ANI)
India Today
22-05-2025
- Sport
- India Today
How Kieron Pollard is turning Naman Dhir into Mumbai Indians' designated finisher
On a night when Suryakumar Yadav's unbeaten 73 grabbed the headlines, it was Naman Dhir's late blitz - 24 off just 8 balls, including 2 sixes and 2 boundaries - against Delhi Capitals that told a deeper story: Mumbai Indians are grooming a new finisher. And behind this quiet transformation stands the man who once defined the role for the franchise's success - Kieron readily credited his rise in the IPL 2025 season to consistent guidance from Pollard and Hardik Pandya. In Mumbai's must-win clash against Delhi Capitals, Dhir and Suryakumar smashed 48 runs in the last two overs to propel MI to 180 for 5. The late surge shattered Delhi's plans and paved the way for a 59-run victory that secured Mumbai's place in the 2025, MI vs DC Highlights Naman, playing his first full IPL season, has quietly built an impressive record. He has scored 186 runs in 13 matches at an explosive strike rate of 182.35 and averages 37.20 - outstanding numbers for a young batter entrusted with finishing duties."We were trying to keep things simple. We were trying to time the ball rather than muscle it. That's what we practice in the nets every day. I talk to Polly every day about this. That helped me a lot. Talking to Polly and Hardik bhai helped me a lot. Surya and Tilak's partnership was very critical. The ball was turning a bit. The wicket was slow. They gave a foundation that helped us express ourselves. I don't think they struggled. They wanted to preserve wickets for the end overs," Naman Dhir told reporters after the win over Delhi has also studied the game from the best in the MI camp- and credited their influence on his development. On a slow pitch that offered turn and required precision, Dhir stuck to the basics - an approach he said came straight from MI's net sessions."Polly has a lot of experience. He has played close to 700 games. He educates me about the strengths and weaknesses of bowlers. We also watch videos of bowlers a lot. Accordingly, I plan. Sometimes, I am able to execute it, sometimes not. Today, it was my day. The team is very Capitals, who began the season with four straight wins, never recovered after losing their top order early in the chase. Without regular captain Axar Patel, they produced a flat response in a do-or-die contest. Sameer Rizvi top-scored with 39, but Delhi folded for 121 in 18.2 the win, Mumbai Indians returned to the playoffs after missing out last season. More significantly, the team now appears to have found a long-term finisher in Dhir - one mentored by a man who knows the role better than most."If MI is playing, you should expect us to qualify for the playoffs," Dhir said. "Now we're focused on the next four games - to win, and win the tournament."Stay updated on IPL 2025 with India Today! Get match schedules, team squads, live score, and the latest IPL points table for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Plus, keep track of the top contenders for the IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap. Don't miss a moment! IN THIS STORY#IPL 2025
San Francisco Chronicle
21-05-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Mumbai Indians seal the final IPL playoffs spot with 59-run win over Delhi
MUMBAI, India (AP) — Mumbai Indians sealed the final playoffs spot in the Indian Premier League with a 59-run victory over Delhi Capitals at Wankhede on Wednesday. Delhi, which needed a win to keep its playoffs hopes alive, folded for 121 in 18.2 overs on a tricky wicket in reply to Mumbai's competitive total of 180-5. Gujarat Titans, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings have already qualified for the playoffs. Delhi became the first team in IPL history to miss the playoffs after winning its first four games. Delhi never in hunt Delhi didn't get momentum from the onset in its run-chase as Faf du Plessis, who led the side in the absence of ill Axar Patel, and Lokesh Rahul fell inside the first three overs. Du Plessis got deceived by Deepak Chahar's slower delivery and holed out at mid-off while Trent Boult had Rahul caught by wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton in the third over. Rickelton pulled off a stunning stumping of Abishek Porel, who got beaten by Will Jacks sharp delivery and couldn't ground his toe, as Delhi slipped to 27-3 in the sixth over. Delhi threatened briefly when Vipraj Nigam (20) smashed three fours and a six after he was promoted ahead of Tristan Stubbs. But with the ball gripping on the surface and favoring spinners, Mitchell Santner (3-11) had Nigam caught of his own bowling and Jasprit Bumrah (3-12) pinned Stubbs leg before wicket for 3 to seal the game. One hundred-eighty "was probably above par on that wicket,' Santner said. 'There is more pressure to take wickets (on slower wickets)," he added. "I try to change the pace and the slower ones were spinning tonight, which was nice.' Yadav and Dhir provide perfect finish Delhi had kept Mumbai in check at 132-5 in 18 overs before Suryakumar Yadav (73 not out) and Naman Dhir (24 not out) excelled in the final two overs, which produced 48 runs for the home team. Dhir smashed fast bowler Mukesh Kumar (2-48) for two fours and two sixes after Yadav had started the 19th over with a six to complete his half-century off 36 balls. Sri Lankan fast bowler Dushmanta Chameera (1-54) then gave away further 21 runs in the final over to give Mumbai over-par total to defend. Mumbai lost Rohit Sharma (5) and Jacks (21) inside the batting powerplay as wicketkeeper Porel plucked a superb two-handed catch to his right to dismiss Sharma of left-arm fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman. Nigam (0-25) and Kuldeep Yadav (1-22) gave away only 47 runs off their combined eight overs as the ball started to grip and turn. But Yadav added a cautious 55 runs with Tilak Varma, who made run-a-ball 27 before he waited for the pacers to return for the final two overs and accelerated with Dhir. 'We let it slip in the last two overs,' du Plessis said. 'Momentum is a real thing in cricket. The way they counter-punched to get almost 50 in the last two overs ... undoing the work of the first 17-18 overs, we lost that momentum.'
