Mumbai: After Mumbai Indians’ emphatic 59-run victory over Delhi Capitals at the Wankhede Stadium, left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner showered praise on Jasprit Bumrah, calling the ace speedster a pivotal force in MI’s bowling attack. The clinical win in the 63rd match of IPL 2025 secured Mumbai’s place in the playoffs as the fourth and final qualifier.
Bumrah was at his lethal best, registering figures of 3/12 in 3.2 overs and breaking the backbone of DC’s middle and lower order by removing Tristan Stubbs, Madhav Tiwari, and Mustafizur Rehman. His economy rate of 3.60 on a batting-friendly surface underlined his mastery in pressure situations.
“It’s always nice to have someone like Bumrah to bowl at the back end of the powerplay and obviously at the death,” said Santner during the post-match presentation. “The guys up top are trying to swing the ball, and Bumrah just does his thing.”
Bumrah Brilliance: 3/12 of pure class 👊
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 21, 2025
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Spinners Shine, but SKY and Dhir Steal the Show
Santner, who also delivered a standout performance with figures of 3/11 in 4 overs, credited the batting brilliance of Suryakumar Yadav and Naman Dhir as the real game-changers.
“As a unit, we were great with the ball. But it was set up by SKY and Naman to get us to 180, which was probably over par on that wicket,” said the 33-year-old Kiwi spinner.
Suryakumar Yadav’s unbeaten 73 off 43 balls and Dhir’s explosive 24 off 8 balls* lifted MI to a formidable 180/5, setting the stage for the bowlers to dominate.
Pitch Talk: Red Soil and Spin Factor
Santner also shared insights on the pitch conditions that suited his style of bowling.
“It was nice. Slightly slower wicket with the red soil. The more overspin you bowl, the more you get out of it. Today, that was my job — mix it up and keep the batters guessing,” he explained.
“There was a little bit there, which was nice. So you could bowl a bit straighter and target the stumps.”
Playoff Picture
With this win, Mumbai Indians join Gujarat Titans, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Punjab Kings in the IPL 2025 playoffs, as the race for the title tightens. The veteran performers like Bumrah and Santner, coupled with firepower from SKY and young guns like Dhir, make MI a formidable contender for a sixth IPL trophy.
Brief Scores:
- Mumbai Indians: 180/5 (Suryakumar Yadav 73*, Naman Dhir 24*; Mukesh Kumar 2/48)
- Delhi Capitals: 121 all out in 18.2 overs (Sameer Rizvi 39; Mitchell Santner 3/11, Jasprit Bumrah 3/12)
As Mumbai finds form at the right moment, the combination of elite pace, tactical spin, and explosive finishing could prove decisive in the playoff stage.