MI vs DC: Rohit Sharma’s stay cut short by Mustafizur Rahman’s clever swing

The stage is set for a high-stakes encounter at the Wankhede Stadium as Delhi Capitals opted to field first against Mumbai Indians in a virtual knockout clash of IPL 2025. With a coveted playoff spot up for grabs, the clash has taken on immense significance for both franchises.

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s emphatic six-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants on Monday night has added further pressure, effectively sealing the first three playoff slots for Gujarat Titans, Punjab Kings, and Royal Challengers. That leaves Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals as the remaining contenders for the fourth and final berth.

As things stand, Mumbai Indians have 14 points while Delhi Capitals are one point behind with 13. Both teams still have control over their playoff destinies, but MI have the advantage going into this fixture. A win for the five-time champions would take them to 16 points, placing them out of Delhi’s reach and securing qualification. On the other hand, for Axar Patel’s Delhi Capitals, the road is more challenging, they must win both of their remaining matches, including their final league game against Punjab Kings on May 24, to make the cut.

However, weather could play spoilsport. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday issued a thunderstorm warning for Mumbai and the surrounding regions, forecasting heavy rain, lightning, and strong gusty winds up to 60 km/h. If the match is washed out, the teams will share a point each, which could prove disastrous for Delhi’s campaign and complicate Mumbai’s path depending on other results.

Mumbai Indians will take confidence from their rich vein of form. Despite a recent narrow loss to Gujarat Titans, the Mahela Jayawardene-coached side had previously strung together six consecutive victories, establishing themselves as one of the most consistent and dangerous sides in this year’s competition. Their balance, depth in both departments, and experience on big occasions give them the upper hand on paper.

In contrast, Delhi Capitals have had a rollercoaster campaign. They started strong, notching up five wins from their first six matches, but their form has since dipped alarmingly. While Kuldeep Yadav has been a standout with 12 wickets, their overall bowling unit has lacked bite. Skipper Axar Patel’s struggles have also hurt the side, his 263 runs and five wickets in the tournament so far fall short of expectations for a player of his calibre.

As the pressure mounts and rain looms, both teams will be hoping for a full game to settle this crucial showdown on the field rather than be left to the vagaries of weather and net run rates.

MI vs DC live updates: Full squads

Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (c), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Robin Minz (wk), Ryan Rickelton (wk), Shrijith Krishnan (wk), Bevon Jacobs, Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Will Jacks, Mitchell Santner, Raj Angad Bawa, Raghu Kumar, Corbin Bosch, Trent Boult, Karn Sharma, Deepak Chahar, Ashwani Kumar, Reece Topley, VS Penmetsa, Arjun Tendulkar, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Jasprit Bumrah.

Delhi Capitals: Axar Patel (c), Mustafizur Rahman, Abhishek Porel (wk), Karun Nair, KL Rahul (wk), Tristan Stubbs (wk), Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Mukesh Kumar, Sameer Rizvi, Darshan Nalkande, Tripurana Vijay, Dushmantha Chameera, Faf du Plessis, T Natarajan, Ajay Jadav Mandal, Manvanth Kumar L, Madhav Tiwari

MI vs DC live updates: Toss update

Delhi Capitals stand-in skipper Faf du Plessis won the toss and elected to bowl against Mumbai Indians in a must-win IPL game here on Wednesday.

MI vs DC live updates: Playing XIs

Mumbai Indians: Ryan Rickelton(w), Rohit Sharma, Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah

Delhi Capitals: Faf du Plessis(c), Abishek Porel(w), Sameer Rizvi, Ashutosh Sharma, Tristan Stubbs, Dushmantha Chameera, Vipraj Nigam, Madhav Tiwari, Kuldeep Yadav, Mustafizur Rahman, Mukesh Kumar

MI vs DC live updates: Match begins!

Ryan Rickelton unleashes a fiery assault in the second over. Dushmantha Chameera entered the attack but was met with brutal resistance, as Rickelton dispatched him for two towering sixes that lit up the Wankhede. Mumbai Indians are off to a commanding start, asserting early dominance with the bat.

MI: 22/0 after 2 overs

This article first appeared on Mid Day