HIGHLIGHTS DC vs MI IPL 2025 Match 29 - Result, Scorecard

All in readiness for DC's reply to get underway. The two umpires and players have made their way out to the centre. Abishek Porel and Jake Fraser-McGurk will open the innings for the Capitals. Deepak Chahar will open the attack for MI. Chahar to JFM. Away we go!

... THE RUN CHASE ...

Right then, Mumbai Indians have the runs on the board and will now be eyeing early breakthroughs in the Powerplay to put Delhi Capitals on the back foot. Interestingly, all four night games in the IPL played at this venue last year have been won by the side batting first, so history does lean in MI’s favour. That said, the short boundaries and quick outfield will assist DC, and they will be eager to get off to a strong start that can set the tone for a successful chase. It is set up for an interesting chase. Chase coming up shortly...

Ryan Rickelton is in for a chat. He says it’s a good score on the board, he feels the ball is sticking into the wicket and it won’t be easy to chase this down. He feels Tilak and Naman have pushed that score to a very competitive one in the end. He says he’s learning with the pickup shot and was lucky to get the ball in the range. He says hopefully, their bowlers will defend this total. He feels the wicket hopefully won’t change much, and the ball will keep low, and the wicket will get slower.  He says Bumrah’s comeback is a big boost as he is a world-class player, but he says he feels a bit nervous as it might be hard to keep against someone of Bumrah’s quality.

Dhir played his part too, ensuring Mumbai Indians got the finish they were looking for. Kuldeep Yadav emerged as a rare exception for Delhi Capitals, holding his nerve and keeping things tight from his end despite the mounting pressure.

Tilak Varma then walked in and along with Naman Dhir, sustained Mumbai’s momentum with a brisk 62-run partnership. Tilak was handed a couple of reprieves and made full use of the opportunities that came his way. The first came when he was on 24, as a miscommunication between Tristan Stubbs and Jake Fraser-McGurk led to a spilled catch. Later, on 54, he survived again when Ashutosh Sharma and Mukesh Kumar collided while attempting to take a catch.

Good finish to the innings for the Mumbai Indians. 51 runs came off the last 4 overs and they will be pleased to have posted 205 on the board. After being asked to bat first, Ryan Rickelton and Rohit Sharma provided MI with a brisk start, though Rohit's stay at the crease was brief. Rickelton showed promise, as did Suryakumar Yadav, but neither could convert their starts into something substantial.

Mukesh Kumar to Naman Dhir, THE BATTERS RUN ALL FOUR! A high full toss, outside off, Naman Dhir heaves it towards deep mid-wicket. The batters take three runs as the fielder has to dive to stop the ball, but then there is a direct hit at the keeper's end. The ball hits the stumps and deflects away, allowing the batters to take the fourth run! MUMBAI INDIANS FINISH ON 205/5, their second highest score this season.

Mukesh Kumar to Will Jacks, Another slower ball, on a length, outside off, Will Jacks heaves it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Will Jacks walks in at number 7, replacing Tilak Varma.

Mukesh Kumar to Tilak Varma, OUT! CAUGHT! Spectacularly taken by Abishek Porel. Slower ball, on a length, outside off, angling away, Tilak Varma gets down to play the slog and connects well too, but gets more height than distance. The ball is heading towards the mid-wicket boundary but a calm and collected Porel waits for the ball to arrive, takes the catch and dramatically balances himself on one leg, ensuring that he is well inside the ropes! End of a fantastic 59 (33) from Tilak, studded with 6 fours and 3 sixes. End of a quickfire 62-run stand and MUMBAI INDIANS are 200/5 with 2 balls left in the innings.

Mukesh Kumar to Naman Dhir, Dhir will feel that he missed out there! A length ball and Mukesh also offers width on off, Naman middles it well but it goes straight to deep cover on the bounce for just a single. 200 UP FOR MUMBAI INDIANS!

Mukesh Kumar to Naman Dhir, FOUR! Cheeky! Mukesh goes searching for the blockhole, on the off stump. Dhir is quick to walk inside the line of the ball and takes it on the full. Uses the pace as he paddles it to the right of short fine leg for a boundary.

Mukesh Kumar to Tilak Varma, Pushed across the left-hander from over the wicket, on a length, Tilak gets low and flays at the delivery. Skies it up towards deep third but it falls well wide of the substitute fielder, Karun Nair, to his right. They cross.

Starc or Mukesh? Mukesh Kumar it shall be, to bowl the final over. 3-0-27-0 so far.

Mohit Sharma to Naman Dhir, SIX! Lovely shot. A length ball, outside off, Naman Dhir gets down on a knee and laps it over short fine leg. Goes all the way! 14 from the over, 40 in the last 3!

Mohit Sharma to Naman Dhir, Yorker, outside off, squeezed through the covers for a brace.

Mohit Sharma to Tilak Varma, Run out chance, missed! Full toss, outside off, Tilak Varma whips it to deep mid-wicket. Naman Dhir wants the second but is sent back. He is halfway through his second before he can turn. The throw comes in to the keeper, KL Rahul, who misses his shy at the striker's end.

Ashutosh is off the ground. Mukesh seems fine and can bowl. Looking at Ashutosh, it seems like he is concussed, because his head collided really heavily on Mukesh Kumar's shoulder.

Mohit Sharma to Naman Dhir, Had the throw hit, Dhir was gone! A yorker, around off, Naman squeezes it out towards cover where Axar Patel swoops in and has a shy at the bowling end but misses. Dhir gets home with a dive.

This does not look good for DC. Both, Ashutosh Sharma and Mukesh Kumar are down at the moment. Irrespective of which side you are supporting, let's hope both players are fine. Ready to resume now.

Mohit Sharma to Tilak Varma, CHANCE MISSED! Another miscommunication from the DC fielders, and this has resulted in a collision! Slower one from Mohit from over the wicket, on a length, near the wide guideline on off, Tilak walks across and waits for the ball to arrive. Swings to go back over the bowler's head but he is a bit early into the shot. Gets it off the outer half of the bat and it balloons towards the short third region. Mukesh Kumar converges to his left from short third while Ashutosh Sharma moves to his right from backward point. Neither of them calls for it and both go for the catch. Both end up colliding with each other and the ball goes between them. The ball dribbles behind and the batters run three.

Mohit Sharma to Naman Dhir, Executes the yorker, near the wide tramline on off, Dhir gets close to the line of the ball and guides it to deep point for a single.

Mitchell Starc to Tilak Varma, FOUR! Neatly done! Wide yorker outside off, Tilak Varma reaches out and carves it over short third for a boundary! 13 from the over, 26 in the last 2!

Mitchell Starc to Tilak Varma, A length ball, outside off, Tilak swings hard but misses.

Mitchell Starc to Naman Dhir, TERRIFIC EFFORT FROM AXAR PATEL. Critics will call it a drop catch but optimists will see it as 5 runs saved. A length ball, around off, Naman Dhir lofts it towards long off. Axar is a bit wide at long off and has to race to his right and that ball seems to be heading over the ropes for all money. But at the last moment, Patel leaps and takes the catch. However, the momentum takes him beyond the ropes and he tries to push the ball back in play. The third umpire checks multiple times whether Bapu's foot has touched the ropes but replays confirm that he threw the ball back, then stepped out of the ropes. Sadly for DC, no long on present to take the tag team catch. A single taken.

Oh Bapu! What an effort! But has he saved the boundary? The fielding effort is being checked upstairs. Seems okay and that is a top effort!

Mitchell Starc to Naman Dhir, FOUR! Two in two for Naman Dhir! Speared in at the stumps, on the fuller side, Naman stays deep in the crease and brings his wrists into play. Whips it through mid-wicket and beats the diving Jake Fraser-McGurk in the deep to his left for four more.

Mitchell Starc to Naman Dhir, FOUR! Easy pickings! Not a great line from the Aussie with fine leg inside the circle and his angle of attack. Dug in short but the line is around leg, Dhir gets inside the line and helps the pull over short fine leg for a boundary.

Mitchell Starc to Naman Dhir, Starc nails the yorker and it is bowled from wide of the crease from around the wicket, Dhir reaches out and tries to use the pace by opening the face of the bat but misses.

Mitchell Starc is back on. 2-0-30-0 so far.

Mohit Sharma to Tilak Varma, Excellent review from Tilak Varma! Corker of a yorker from Mohit, around leg stump, Tilak plays all around it, looking to flick but misses and is hit on the pads. Mohit appeals for LBW and the umpire raises his finger. Tilak takes the review and one can see Rahul mouthing to Mohit that he felt it pitched outside leg. Sure enough. Ball Tracking confirms Rahul's doubt and shows it to be pitching outside leg! Unfortunately for MI, this will go down as a dot ball even though the batters took a run as the umpire had raised his finger. 13 from the over, but 11 of those came on the first 3 balls. Excellent comeback by Mohit Sharma.

Mohit Sharma to Naman Dhir, Slower ball, outside off, on a length, Naman Dhir punches it through the covers for a run, handing the strike back to Tilak.

Mohit Sharma to Tilak Varma, BACK-TO-BACK FIFTIES FOR TILAK VARMA! Terrific comeback into the side. Of course, he was dropped on 24, but that is not his problem. He has made full use of the life offered to him. A full toss, outside off, Tilak punches it towards long off for a single to get to his half century.

Mohit Sharma to Tilak Varma, FOUR! Short and punished! Mohit serves the off-cutter into the wicket, but Tilak gets it at a good height. Varma swivels and pulls it all along the ground right between deep square leg and deep mid-wicket for a boundary. Moves to 49 with this shot.

Mohit Sharma to Naman Dhir, Good comeback ball from Mohit. Gets the yorker in, outside off, Dhir squeezes it out in front of extra cover for a single.

Mohit Sharma to Naman Dhir, SIX! Dhir welcomes Mohit with a biggie! Sharma bends his back and digs it in short, around the right shoulder of the batter. Dhir swivels on the back foot nicely and pulls it over deep backward square leg for a six.

One expects that is the end of spin in this innings. Mohit Sharma is back on. 1-0-13-0 so far.

Kuldeep Yadav to Tilak Varma, Short, outside off, Tilak goes back and cuts it through the covers. Jake Fraser-McGurk gives it a good chase to his left from sweeper cover and sweeps the ball off cleanly. Two runs taken. 4-0-23-2 for Kuldeep Yadav, bowling 11 dot balls and conceding just 3 boundaries.

Kuldeep Yadav to Tilak Varma, Goes for the reverse but Kuldeep slows it up and keeps it wide outside off. Tilak Varma cannot connect with his shot.

Kuldeep Yadav to Tilak Varma, Outside off, a swing and a miss.

Kuldeep Yadav to Naman Dhir, Turning into the pads, Dhir tickles it towards short fine leg off the back foot for a single.

Kuldeep Yadav to Tilak Varma, Keeps it on the shorter side, on off, Tilak pushes it wide of cover for a single.

Kuldeep Yadav to Tilak Varma, FOUR! A valiant effort from Starc, but in vain! Kuldeep serves the googly, fractionally short, on middle, Varma gets on the back foot quickly and pulls it to the left of long on. Mitchell Starc covers good ground to his left and puts in a slide. Tries to push the ball away from the fence but the ball ends up trickling into the ropes off his hand. 150 UP FOR MUMBAI INDIANS!

STRATEGIC TIMEOUT. 87/3 in the middle-overs phase. So MI have maintained their run rate of around 9-10 runs per over. They have attacked every bowler barring Kuldeep Yadav and that shows the class of the man. With others getting carted, he has held his own, with figures of 3-0-15-2. But he has only one over left. The innings has 5 pending. How will the other DC bowlers fare at the death? 210 seems to be on, but the other question now is - how much is enough on this track and small ground?

Vipraj Nigam to Naman Dhir, What a ripper to finish his spell. A lovely leggie, tossed up on middle, spinning away, not much pace offered, Dhir comes forward but then goes back to push the ball towards point. Bowling figures which do not do justice to Vipraj Nigam - 4-0-41-2. He has bowled much better than those figures suggest.

Vipraj Nigam to Tilak Varma, Another quicker googly, 99.1 kph, Tilak Varma stays back and works it through mid-wicket for a run.

Vipraj Nigam to Tilak Varma, On middle and off, pushed back to the bowler.

Vipraj Nigam to Tilak Varma, SIX! SLOT BALL HIT FOR SIX! Lovely shot! Full around off, Tilak Varma goes for the lofted drive over the bowler's head and connects it very well.

Vipraj Nigam to Naman Dhir, Full, around off, Naman Dhir is on the walk and pushes it towards long off for a single to get off the mark.

Naman Dhir walks in next at number 6, replacing his skipper Hardik Pandya.

Vipraj Nigam to Hardik Pandya, GONE! VIPRAJ NIGAM HAS GOT HIS MAN! Full on the leg stump, almost a yorker, which doesn't allow Hardik to get underneath the length as he goes for the lofted drive over long off and hits it straight to Tristan Stubbs positioned there. Perhaps Hardik didn't get the required elevation, and as a result, he has to perish.

Tilak has been pretty consistent too. Since IPL 2023, he has also emerged as one of the top run-scorers among middle-order batters, scoring 830 runs at an average of 41.5 before this game.

Kuldeep Yadav to Tilak Varma, Full and fired at the leg stump, Tilak mistimes his flick to short fine leg. Just 3 runs and a wicket from the over. Kuldeep Yadav's figures read 3-0-15-2.

Kuldeep Yadav to Hardik Pandya, Quicker ball, around middle and off, Hardik Pandya picks it from the stumps and punches it towards sweeper cover for one.

Kuldeep Yadav to Tilak Varma, Short, outside off, Tilak Varma gets across to pull but mistimes it towards short fine leg for a run.

Kuldeep Yadav to Hardik Pandya, Outside off, cut through point for a single.

Kuldeep Yadav to Hardik Pandya, On middle, pushed down to short mid-wicket.

Skipper Hardik Pandya walks in now at number 5, in his 50th IPL match as captain.

Kuldeep Yadav to Suryakumar Yadav, GONE! KULDEEP HAS GOT THE BIG FISH! Full, on off, enticing the batter to go for the big one. Suryakumar accepts the offer and looks to go over long off, but he doesn't get it off the middle of the bat as he hits it straight to long off, where Starc takes an easy catch.

Kuldeep Yadav returns. 2-0-12-1 so far.

Vipraj Nigam to Tilak Varma, Outside off, spinning away, Varma looks to cut but cannot reach.

Vipraj Nigam to Tilak Varma, Full, on middle, Tilak sweeps it to deep mid-wicket for a couple.

Vipraj Nigam to Tilak Varma, DROPPED! FOUR! Oh dear... Australia and South Africa are fierce rivals and are set to contest the World Test Championship final in June, but surely, that is for later? And one does expect better communication skills from players of these countries. Floated, outside off, Tilak Varma gets down to play the slog sweep but the line is a bit too wide for that. Ends up dragging it off the top edge and the ball goes miles in the air. Tristan Stubbs is the one who is ready for the catch at deep mid-wicket, but for some reason, Jake Fraser-McGurk comes running to his right from deep square leg. Stubbs is set for the catch but at the last moment, he looks at JFM from his peripheral vision and takes his eyes off the ball. As a result, it bursts through his hands and bounces in front of the ropes. The fielders are seen arguing with each other but there was no communication prior.

Vipraj Nigam to Suryakumar Yadav, Full on middle, Surya drives this one along the ground to long off for a single.

Vipraj Nigam to Suryakumar Yadav, FOUR! THIS IS A SWEEPING MASTERCLASS FROM SURYAKUMAR YADAV! Short, just outside off, Suryakumar Yadav again sits on a knee and sweeps it to the left of deep mid-wicket for a four.

Vipraj Nigam to Suryakumar Yadav, SIX! SWEEP ONCE MORE FROM SURYAKUMAR YADAV! Shorter on middle, Suryakumar sits down on one leg and sweeps this one over the deep square leg fielder for a six.

Into the Orange Cap race, jumps Surya. He is now 6th in the list of the rungetters this season, with 238 runs at an average of 59.5. Here's Vipraj Nigam again. 2-0-16-1 so far.

Mohit Sharma to Tilak Varma, SIX! Just hold the pose, mate! What a shot. A length ball, around leg stump, Tilak Varma stays leg side of the ball a touch and lofts it with finesse, straight back over the bowler. Long on is a touch wide and the ball goes over the ropes! 14 from the over, 24 in the last 2! The stand moves to 43 (26).

Mohit Sharma to Suryakumar Yadav, Full and straight, Suryakumar Yadav exposes all his stumps and hits it down the ground to long on for a run.

Mohit Sharma to Tilak Varma, Around middle and off, Tilak winds up for a big heave and gets a thick inside edge onto his pads. Takes the single off the deflection.

Mohit Sharma to Suryakumar Yadav, Length ball seaming in, on the off stump, Surya looks to play the pickup over fine leg, as the ball sneaks past the inside edge and hits his back pad and goes towards short third. The batters run a leg bye.

Mohit Sharma to Suryakumar Yadav, Short ball sliding well down leg, Suryakumar Yadav doesn't bother playing it as he lets it go. Wide given.

Mohit Sharma to Suryakumar Yadav, FOUR! SUPERB WRIST WORK! Full on off, Suryakumar Yadav whips this one over the mid-wicket region for a one-bounce four.

Mohit Sharma to Suryakumar Yadav, Length ball seaming into the right hander, on the middle stump, Surya works this one straight to short mid-wicket. Dot ball.

We talked about spin playing a pivotal role in the middle phase. Surya has equally dominated both pace and spin in IPL 2025. He strikes at around 153 against pace while he averages a mammoth 98 against spin! Here's bowler number 6. Mohit Sharma.

Axar Patel to Tilak Varma, TOP EDGE, FOUR! Fired on leg stump, Tilak Varma gets down to play the sweep but is beaten by the quicker one. Gets a top edge which flies way over short fine leg, to the fence behind. 10 from the over, Axar Patel's figures read 2-0-19-0 so far.

Axar Patel to Suryakumar Yadav, Tip and run. Outside off, Suryakumar taps it towards cover point and takes a quick single. 100 UP FOR MUMBAI INDIANS in the 11th over.

Axar Patel to Suryakumar Yadav, Landed outside off, Suryakumar Yadav stays leg side of the ball and eases it towards cover.

Axar Patel to Suryakumar Yadav, Huge shout for LBW! Turned down! And KL Rahul animatedly gestures to Axar Patel to take the review. How close is this? Fuller-length arm ball, in line of the stumps, Surya stays stuck in his crease as he looks to push it into the off side. Now, the ball hits something and goes towards short fine leg and the keeper Rahul jumps up and down in excitement, reckoning that he has his man. The umpire stays put though and the main discussion between the keeper and bowler seems to be whether that was bat first or pad first. Rahul is confident that it is pad first and Axar takes the review. Sure enough. UltraEdge indicates it is pad first. And Axar starts to celebrate. But then comes Ball Tracking which projects the ball to be going down the leg side, missing the leg stump! Review lost for DC.

Axar Patel to Suryakumar Yadav, FOUR! Suryakumar Yadav is on a sweeping spree here! Full sliding down leg, Suryakumar Yadav brings out the broom again as he sweeps this one over short fine leg for a four. There was a bit of a top edge on that one, but Yadav will take it.

Axar Patel to Tilak Varma, Axar fires in a yorker on middle, Tilak flicks it along the ground to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Kuldeep Yadav to Suryakumar Yadav, Drops it short, around off, SKY cuts well but picks out the man at backward point.

Kuldeep Yadav to Suryakumar Yadav, Lovely bowling! Out comes the googly from Kuldeep. It lands just outside the line of the leg stump, Suryakumar Yadav stays on the back foot but gets squared up and there is a bit of extra bounce as well. The ball catches the outer half of the bat and dribbles towards backward point.

Kuldeep Yadav to Tilak Varma, Pushed through, on a nagging length, on off, Varma gets on the back foot and plays it with a straight bat towards long on for a single.

Kuldeep Yadav to Tilak Varma, A touch fuller, turning into the left hander, Tilak Varma cautiously defends it back to the bowler. Dot ball.

Kuldeep Yadav to Suryakumar Yadav, A touch shorter in length, chinaman delivery, on middle-leg, Surya flicks this into the leg side towards deep mid-wicket for a single.

Kuldeep Yadav to Suryakumar Yadav, FOUR! SWEPT AWAY AGAIN! Full-length just outside off, Suryakumar Yadav again takes a big step across and brings out the broom as he sweeps it across the line to the right of diving square leg fielder for four.

FIRST STRATEGIC TIMEOUT. Wow. What can a pitch and a ground dimension do to a batting unit. Mumbai Indians were struggling before this match in the batting department, but just like every day is a new day, they have approached this game with fresh air. They have lost both their openers but have also hit 5 sixes in 54 balls - that's a six roughly every 11 balls. If we look at the overall boundary package, it reads 14 boundaries (4s+6s) in 54 balls - so we can get that down to a boundary roughly every 4 deliveries! Delhi Capitals have been forced to put their thinking cap on and one feels that they are already looking at run-restricting options as opposed to wicket-taking options. Will the spinners be able to turn things around?

Axar Patel to Tilak Varma, Slows it down and gets the ball to grip in the surface, on the shorter side, on middle, Varma nudges it towards short fine leg.

Axar Patel to Suryakumar Yadav, Speared in from well wide of the crease on the around-the-wicket angle, full and on middle, SKY gets his bat out in front and drives it towards long off for a single.

Axar Patel to Suryakumar Yadav, A bit of grip and turn for Axar, short and on off, Suryakumar Yadav plays it with turn towards cover.

Axar Patel to Tilak Varma, Full toss on middle-leg, Tilak Varma flicks this along the ground to the left of deep mid-wicket for a single.

Axar Patel to Tilak Varma, SIX! REVERSE SWEPT! Quicker ball, the arm ball on middle, Tilak Varma is quick to switch over as he reverse sweeps this over short third for six.

Axar Patel to Suryakumar Yadav, A touch shorter on middle-leg, darting into the right hander, Surya punches it off the back foot to deep extra cover for a single.

Tilak Varma is built with consistency and striking ability, and he has been MI’s weapon in the middle. Since IPL 2023, Tilak has scored 910 runs at an average of 41.4. Double change. Skipper Axar Patel comes on.

Kuldeep Yadav to Tilak Varma, Slower through the air, turning away, on off, Tilak eases it from the crease to cover.

Kuldeep Yadav to Tilak Varma, FOUR! Tilak Varma is on his way! Another googly from Kuldeep but the length is a bit too short, on middle, Tilak reads the googly and uses the depth of the crease. Pulls it firmly to the left of the deep mid-wicket fielder for a boundary.

Tilak Varma walks in next at number 4, replacing Ryan Rickelton.

Kuldeep Yadav to Ryan Rickelton, OUT! CLEANED HIM UP! Kuldeep Yadav strikes in his first over! Ryan Rickelton is outfoxed, and his promising stay has been cut short. Kuldeep dishes out the googly and lands it outside the off stump, on a nagging length, Rickelton hangs on the back foot to deal with it. Does not pick the googly from the hand and is late to read it off the wicket. The ball pitches and spins back in to go past the inside edge and crash into the middle stump. Rickelton falls for 41 (25) and MI are now 75/2.

Kuldeep Yadav to Suryakumar Yadav, Quicker through the air, shorter in length, on off stump, Surya pushes it off the back foot to long on for a single.

Kuldeep Yadav to Suryakumar Yadav, Tossed up on off, Surya drives this back to the bowler. Dot ball.

Kuldeep Yadav to Ryan Rickelton, Shorter in length, turning away, Rickelton rocks on the back foot and pulls it to the right of deep mid-wicket for a single.

The middle overs (7-15) are pretty underrated in T20 cricket. It is in this phase that Suryakumar Yadav revels, having scored the third most runs in IPL 2025. 148 prior to this game. Here's Kuldeep Yadav.

Vipraj Nigam to Ryan Rickelton, Keeps it full, on off, Ryan knocks it along the ground to long off for a single. 14 runs off the over.

Vipraj Nigam to Ryan Rickelton, SIX! How has Ryan Rickelton managed to clear the fence here? Nigam spots the batter backing away and tries to push it away from the batter. Initially, it seems like Ryan has backed away a bit too far, but he still manages to free his arms and make the connection. Gets it off the toe end of the bat, but it sails over long off for a six.

Vipraj Nigam to Suryakumar Yadav, Flat and short, outside off, Suryakumar Yadav reaches out in front and drags the sweep towards deep backward square leg for a single.

Vipraj Nigam to Suryakumar Yadav, BEAUTY! Slower through the air, leg break, turning away from the right hander, Surya pushes at it and gets beaten on the outside edge.

Vipraj Nigam to Suryakumar Yadav, Quicker and flatter, just outside off, Suryakumar Yadav cuts it straight to backward point. Dot ball.

Vipraj Nigam to Suryakumar Yadav, FOUR! SWEPT AWAY! Fuller just outside off, Suryakumar Yadav puts his front foot across and sweeps it towards deep square leg for four. That went to the boundary like a tracer bullet!

Vipraj Nigam to Ryan Rickelton, Full toss sliding down leg, very close to the leg stump, Ryan Rickelton goes for the sweep and misses it. The keeper doesn't collect it well and the ball deflects towards the short fine leg fielder. The batters runs for that misfield. Two wides!

Suryakumar Yadav has been Mumbai Indians’ standout batter in IPL 2025 so far, scoring a bulk of MI's runs so far.

Mukesh Kumar to Suryakumar Yadav, Goes full this time, on off, Suryakumar Yadav cannot get under the ball and drives it along the ground to mid off. 59/1 FOR MUMBAI INDIANS at the end of the Powerplay!

Mukesh Kumar to Suryakumar Yadav, Gets the line right and the length too, on a hard length, on middle, Yadav pats it back to Mukesh.

Mukesh Kumar to Suryakumar Yadav, Wide! Sliding down leg again, on a back of a length, at 129.1 kph, SKY tries to help it away with the angle but misses. The ball goes on the bounce to the keeper.

Mukesh Kumar to Suryakumar Yadav, SIX! Suryakumar Yadav is up and running! A bit too straight from Mukesh, on a short of a length, Suryakumar just walks inside the line of the ball and plays the pick-up shot. Parks it into the stands behind deep fine leg for a biggie to get off the mark.

Mukesh Kumar to Ryan Rickelton, Wide again, full as well, this time Rickelton finds the gap, driving it past cover-point for a single in the deep.

Mukesh Kumar to Ryan Rickelton, Wide outside off, driven straight to cover point.

Mukesh Kumar to Ryan Rickelton, FOUR! TAKE THAT! Dropped short, outside off, Ryan Rickelton gets on top of the bounce and pulls it with venom through mid-wicket! Moves to 32 (19), with his 5th four. Also, 50 IS UP FOR MUMBAI INDIANS.

Suryakumar Yadav walks in at number 3, replacing Rohit Sharma.

Vipraj Nigam to Rohit Sharma, OUT! LBW! Excellent review from Delhi Capitals to overturn the decision! Pushed through by Vipraj, on a nagging length, on middle, Rohit gets down on a knee and tries to swipe it away on the leg side. The ball skids through and sneaks under the blade to catch him on the back thigh. The ball does not have much distance to travel and there is no bat involved. The Ball Tracking comes up as three reds with the ball crashing into the top of the leg stump. Excellent review from DC and Rohit falls after getting a start once again. Sharma departs for 18 (12) and MI are now 47/1 in 5 overs.

Vipraj Nigam to Rohit Sharma, Floated up, on off, Rohit gets his front pad out of the way and drives it sweetly but straight to cover.

Vipraj Nigam to Ryan Rickelton, Vipraj gets away with it! A half tracker, on off, Ryan Rickelton presses on the back foot and ends up dragging the pull towards long on for just a single.

Vipraj Nigam to Ryan Rickelton, Around middle, punched back to the bowler.

Vipraj Nigam to Ryan Rickelton, The googly, outside off, Ryan Rickelton looks to flick but gets a leading edge towards short third.

Vipraj Nigam to Rohit Sharma, Full, outside off, driven towards long off for a single.

Delhi Capitals' assistant coach, Matthew Motts is up for a chat now. Calls it a brilliant atmosphere, detailing that the crowd turned up last evening for DC's practice and is up again tonight. Is honest in saying that one can expect a few sixes to be hit at this venue and hopes his bowlers wrestle the momentum back. On his team's fortunes, he puts it down to his bowling unit and praises KL Rahul too, for his excellent batting form. On missing team mentor Kevin Pietersen, Motts says that Pietersen is continuously texting him with advices and updates and is desperate to be with the squad. On his favourite Indian cuisine, Matthew says that he loves the Indian masalas and thanks the DC owners for keeping everyone well fed. On being asked about Vipraj Nigam, MM calls him as one being under the radar and says that he is impressed with the youngster's ethics, calling him as one to look out for in the future. Also predicts that Ashutosh Sharma will feature in Indian colours sooner or later. Talking about Vipraj, here he comes as the first bowling change.

Mukesh Kumar to Ryan Rickelton, FOUR! Creamed away! Going across, on a good length, Ryan Rickelton gets his hands through and drives it on the up. Hits it between cover and mid off for a boundary.

Mukesh Kumar to Ryan Rickelton, Hurls it nice and full, attacking the stumps, Ryan Rickelton firmly drives it down the deck. Mukesh stops it with a leap to his right.

Mukesh Kumar to Rohit Sharma, Slanting into the right-hander, on a nagging length, Rohit nudges it off the pads towards mid-wicket for a single.

Mukesh Kumar to Rohit Sharma, Wild swing and a miss. A length ball, outside off, Rohit dances down the track, is not to the pitch of the ball, yet swings wildly and misses.

Mukesh Kumar to Rohit Sharma, Around off, defended to the off side.

Mukesh Kumar to Ryan Rickelton, A length ball, outside off, Ryan Rickelton punches it to deep backward point for a single.

Without a doubt, Rohit is one of the best openers in the IPL and has the third best strike rate among Indian openers in IPL since 2024. (Minimum 450 runs).

Mitchell Starc to Rohit Sharma, FOUR! Up and over! Back-to-back expensive overs from Starc. 19 off this one and 11 off the opening over. A bit too full from the Aussie, angling across the right-hander, Rohit just presses forward and goes inside out over cover for a boundary.

Mitchell Starc to Rohit Sharma, Well bowled! Starc takes pace off and drags the length back, outside off, Sharma does not pick the variation and just hangs his bat out in front to defend. Gets beaten on the outside edge and the ball goes on the bounce to the keeper.

Mitchell Starc to Rohit Sharma, SIX! Streaky, but they all count! Pushed across the right hander, fuller in length from over the wicket, Rohit gets down on a knee to play the lap but the ball takes the top edge and flies well over the keeper for a six.

Mitchell Starc to Rohit Sharma, FOUR! AWESOME! That is classy Rohit. Fractionally overpitched, but wide outside off. Rohit Sharma leans into the shot and drives it between cover and point for his first boundary of the game.

Mitchell Starc to Ryan Rickelton, IN THE AIR... JUST SHORT! Heart-in-mouth moment for Rickelton. Starc alters his length and changes his pace but Ryan does not pick it. Goes hard at the length ball and is months early. As a result, he spoons it off the face of his bat towards mid on. Mohit Sharma at mid on dives forward but the ball lands in front of him and goes off his body behind. A single taken.

Slip's gone now. Fine leg is up as well.

Mitchell Starc to Ryan Rickelton, FOUR! Not a bad length, bowling it short and trying to cramp the batter for room, but the line was incorrect. Down the leg side, Ryan Rickelton tickles it to the right of the keeper to the fine leg fence.

Rohit's approach in the Powerplay has changed a lot. In fact, since IPL 2023, his strike rate in the Powerplays in IPL has been 140.

Mukesh Kumar to Ryan Rickelton, Serves it full, on off, Rickelton pats it to the left of mid off and keeps the strike with a single.

Mukesh Kumar to Ryan Rickelton, SIX! Ryan Rickelton hits the first six of the night! Mukesh tries to bang it into the deck but fails to get it high enough to trouble the batter. It sits up to be hit, on off, Rickelton latches onto it and even though he gets it off the toe end of the bat, it sails way back into the stands over deep square leg.

Mukesh Kumar to Ryan Rickelton, Lands it on a hard length, over off, Rickelton rides the bounce and punches it straight to cover.

Mukesh Kumar to Ryan Rickelton, EDGED, SHORT! Mukesh is making the ball talk. Slightly fuller, outside off, Rickelton feels for the ball around his off stump and goes fishing. The ball takes the outside edge but because he played it with soft hands, the outside edge generated lands well short of the diving first slip, to his left.

Mukesh Kumar to Rohit Sharma, Ooohh... that nearly got him! Landed on a good length, outside off, Rohit Sharma looked to defend but the ball jagged back in a long way and cramped him for room. Took the inside edge and went behind square leg. A single taken.

Mukesh Kumar to Ryan Rickelton, Mukesh Kumar shares the new ball with Starc. Gets a bit of a curve into the left hander, around middle and leg, Ryan Rickelton works it towards mid on for a single.

Mitchell Starc to Ryan Rickelton, Gets the line right now, does Starc, in the channel on off, on the fuller side, Rickelton pushes at the delivery away from his body. Gets it off the outer half of the bat towards deep point for a single. 11 runs off the first over.

Rohit Sharma has not got off to the start he would have hoped for in this year's IPL. He has scored just 38 runs in 4 outings. He is getting off to starts but is not able to capitalize. Could tonight be his night?

Mitchell Starc to Ryan Rickelton, Wide! Starc looks to fire in a full ball, but this is sprayed down leg, Ryan misses the tickle. Wide given.

Mitchell Starc to Ryan Rickelton, The length is pulled back now by Starc, on middle and leg, Ryan hangs back to nudge it away on the leg side but gets beaten on the inside edge and wears it high on the thigh pad.

Mitchell Starc to Ryan Rickelton, FOUR! Two in two, but this is even better! Starc keeps it full and gets a hint of away movement in the air, on off, Ryan lets the ball to come to him and just eases the drive to the right of mid off for four more.

Mitchell Starc to Ryan Rickelton, FOUR! First boundary of the evening! My word, the timing! My word, the outfield! Slightly erratic from the Aussie, on the pads and a bit too full, overpitched, to be precise, Ryan Rickelton just leans into the shot and flicks it to the left of mid on! Gets off the mark in style, on his very first ball!

Mitchell Starc to Ryan Rickelton, Fuller, around middle, hint of away shape, Ryan Rickelton pushes it towards mid on.

Mitchell Starc to Rohit Sharma, On the money, is Starc and on the board, is Rohit. On a good length, around middle and leg, Rohit Sharma watchfully pats it towards cover-point and takes the single.

The bell is rung to signal the start of the match and out walk the MI openers to the middle - Ryan Rickelton and Rohit Sharma. They pass the DC group which is in a huddle and not sure who spoke or what was spoken, but at the end of it, everyone was smiling with Ashutosh Sharma and skipper Axar Patel literally in splits. Right then. India-Australia time? Or practice for the WTC final? Starc vs Rohit or Starc vs Rickelton? Mitchell Starc has the new ball in his hand and it will be Rohit Sharma on strike. Just a lone slip in place. Question is - for how long? Here we go then...

A warm welcome to one and all once again. Why this second welcome? Today is a double-header Sunday and the fans would have been following the RR-RCB game earlier in the day. Thanks to Phil Salt and Virat Kohli, the game lovers have been given enough time to take a break post that match and rejoin for the evening clash. For those who tuned in late, Delhi Capitals have elected to chase, going against the past record at this venue. In the last 6 night T20s at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, the team batting first has come out triumphs. But Axar Patel confidently said that his decision is based on the way HIS team is playing and not based on history. Fair enough, aye?

So MI are going in with 4 overseas players in their playing XI while DC are going in with 3. Given that they are chasing, it will be interesting to see whom do they use as an impact player. Normally, it is Abishek Porel but given that he is in the playing XI tonight, one could see a Sameer Rizvi or even the big-hitting Donovan Ferreira don that role in the second innings.

The captain of Mumbai Indians, HARDIK PANDYA, is happy to have lost the toss as he says that he won the toss the previous 4 times but the result was not as per MI's desire. On the team conversations coming into the game, Hardik says that they were mostly about the mistakes made and how they can get better as he stresses that there is a lot of experience within the team to understand the situation. Informs that MI are trying not to hit the panic button as by experience, Pandya says that panicking never helps. Agrees that it is a long tournament but if you don't catch up soon, you could end up being in trouble. Informs that Mumbai are going in with the same team.

The skipper of Delhi Capitals, AXAR PATEL, says that Delhi have been chasing well and also because the wicket is a new one, he has decided to bowl first. On the previous history of teams batting first winning here most of the times, Patel puts it down as a past record and stresses that his decision is based on how his current team is functioning and what are its strengths. Admits that there will be a lot of challenges here as due to this being a small ground, there will be a lot of sixes hit. But adds that bowlers need to be brave to keep pitching the ball in the right area and keep searching for wickets. On the team news, AP seems to be a bit confused, as he thinks that Faf du Plessis is injured, but also adds that they are playing with the same team and will take a call on the fly as to who could be their impact player.

Impact nominations by DC - Sameer Rizvi, Karun Nair, Darshan Nalkande, Donovan Ferreira and Dushmantha Chameera.

Delhi Capitals (Playing XI) - Jake Fraser-McGurk (OVERSEAS), Abishek Porel (IN FOR FAF DU PLESSIS), KL Rahul (WK), Axar Patel (C), Tristan Stubbs (OVERSEAS), Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc (OVERSEAS), Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma and Mukesh Kumar.

Impact nominations by MI -  Karn Sharma, Corbin Bosch, Ashwani Kumar, Raj Angad Bawa and Robin Minz.

Mumbai Indians (Playing XI) - Rohit Sharma (IN FOR VIGNESH PUTHUR), Ryan Rickelton (WK) (OVERSEAS), Will Jacks (OVERSEAS), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (C), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner (OVERSEAS), Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult (OVERSEAS) and Jasprit Bumrah.

TOSS - Time for the spin of the coin. Axar Patel flips the coin and HEADS is the call by Hardik Pandya. But it turns down as TAILS and DELHI CAPITALS ELECT TO BOWL FIRST.

Big match for Hardik Pandya. Tonight will be the 50th TIME that Hardik will be leading a side in the IPL. 31 of those have been for Gujarat Titans, who had a successful run under his reign in 2022 and 2023, making it to the final in both years.

PITCH REPORT - Murali Kartik has a look at the surface. On the venue, he reckons that batters usually love this venue as a lot of sixes in the IPL have been scored in Delhi. Details that batters kind of get the feeling that this is a small ground and love to belt the ball. On the track, Kartik sees some straw-coloured grass and plenty of cracks. But calls those undulating and reckons that this could be a batting paradise on offer.

Meanwhile, in Jaipur, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru have steamrolled Rajasthan Royals by 9 wickets, handing the Royals their second consecutive defeat. With this win, RCB move to third spot, while RR stay at 7th. MI would be happy with the result, as, if they win tonight, they stand a chance of replacing Rajasthan at 7th spot, due to a better net runrate. DC, on the other hand, thanks to an excellent net runrate, stay atop but a defeat tonight might drop them to second spot, below GT.

NO FAF TONIGHT? Oh dear... that could be a big news and a big blow to DC, if it is true. Faf du Plessis had a chat with the on-air broadcasters prior to this game and he smilingly informed that in the previous game against RCB, his teammates gave him the option of playing as an impact player, but given his competitive nature, he refused and took part in the entire game, as a member of the original playing XI. However, he said that the decision has proved to be regretful as he is not with the spikes today. Meaning, he will not be playing this game.

As has been the tradition for a couple of years now, every venue has an opening ceremony in the IPL. Given that this is the first game of the season at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, there are some performances going on at the ground, enthralling the fans. The players too, have reached the venue.

It is a team which is yet to be defeated in this edition against a team which has won this tournament 5 times in the past. MI clearly hold a lot of experience but with DC steaming in with a lot of momentum, which noun will have its say tonight?

Hellooooo, Kotla! Oops... Arun Jaitley Stadium, we should say, shouldn't we? Old habits die hard. We are all ready for the 12th venue to be utilized in IPL 2025, with Delhi Capitals playing their first game at their original home. Prior to this, they played 2 games at their adopted home, in Visakhapatnam and managed to emerge unscathed. How will 'Qila Kotla' serve them tonight? Mumbai Indians, on the other hand, will love to take inspiration from the way Sunrisers Hyderabad chased down a 'paltry' 246 in Hyderabad. Of course, they don't need any second invitation, do they? If there is one team which is used to slow starts, that too, for more than a decade, it is Mumbai Indians. However, given that RCB are almost on the threshold of victory in Jaipur, it will mean that 4 teams will be on 8 points. MI are on 2. Time to get a move on.

... MATCH DAY ...

DELHI vs MUMBAI. This isn’t just about a cricket match, it’s an age-old rivalry between two of India’s most popular cities. From food to fashion to lifestyle, the debate never ends, but here we are just talking about the cricket field. As the IPL 2025 season heats up, we’re nearly at the halfway mark, and teams are either finding form or falling apart. The 29th match of the season will take place at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, marking Delhi’s first home game after playing their initial fixtures in Visakhapatnam, their second home ground. It is a double-header Sunday, and these two teams have had contrasting campaigns so far. Delhi Capitals are the only unbeaten side this season, having won all four of their matches. Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians have won just one out of five and are desperately trying to turn their season around. As in history, Mumbai defeated Delhi in the 2020 IPL final to claim their fifth and last title. But a lot has changed since then. Delhi now look like a transformed side under the captaincy of Axar Patel, who has been sharp with his strategies and calm under pressure. Delhi’s campaign began with a nail-biting win over Lucknow Super Giants, where Ashutosh Sharma’s explosive half-century grabbed all the attention. Since then, they’ve looked like a team that knows how to get the job done. KL Rahul, their experienced batter, has been in top form with back-to-back solid innings against CSK and RCB, providing much-needed stability in the middle order. Players like Faf du Plessis, Axar Patel, and Tristan Stubbs have all chipped in at different stages, showing that this side doesn't rely on just one or two players. In the bowling department, Kuldeep Yadav has been brilliant, maintaining an economy of under 6 so far and consistently picking up key wickets in the middle overs. He’s built a strong partnership with Mitchell Starc, who leads the wicket-taking charts for DC this season. Another rising star has been youngster Vipraj Nigam, who has impressed with both bat and ball. The team has shown great trust in him, handing him the responsibility of bowling tough overs, and he’s delivering with maturity. With momentum on their side and finally playing in front of their home crowd in Delhi, the Capitals are eyeing their fifth consecutive win. Mumbai Indians, on the other hand, have had a rocky ride. After losing their first two games, they bounced back strongly with a dominant win over KKR, but their inconsistency has continued. They’ve failed to chase down targets in their last two games, losing both by 12 runs each against LSG and RCB, respectively. Their biggest concern has been the lack of partnerships at the top, with Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton unable to get going in the Powerplay. That early pressure has affected the middle-order as well. Suryakumar Yadav did manage to get a fifty this season, but he’s far from his best. Tilak Varma showed glimpses of form in the last match after a horrible outing against LSG, where he had to retire. The skipper, Hardik Pandya, has been their shining light, and he nearly pulled off a miracle against RCB with the bat. He has already taken a five-wicket haul earlier in the season, and he’s giving it everything, but the team needs support. Jasprit Bumrah’s return has been a major boost, and he bowled superbly in the death overs against RCB. However, Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar need to bring more firepower if MI are to claw their way back into playoff contention. As for the conditions, the Delhi pitch is usually good for batting, though it can be a bit dry, giving spinners something to work with. Short boundaries mean we can expect a lot of fours and sixes, and the weather looks clear for a full Sunday showdown, despite a dust storm on Friday. All signs point to a high-octane clash between two teams with a fierce past. Delhi are flying high, and Mumbai are hunting for redemption. So, who are you backing in this old-school rivalry, Capitals power or Mumbai muscle?