Tilak Varma was previously substituted due to a slower pace. In his next match, he scored 56 runs in 29 balls during a challenging run chase against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. On Sunday, in their first home game of IPL 2025 at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Varma once again led the scoring with 59 runs off 43 balls for Mumbai Indians (MI) after being chosen to bat first by Delhi Capitals (DC).
Tilak’s knock set the foundation, while Naman Dhir gave the final push. As a formidable hitter who is flexible in his batting position, Dhir scored a quick 38 runs off only 17 balls. He and Tilak shared a fifth-wicket partnership of 60 runs off just 33 deliveries, rescuing the team after losing Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya within six balls.
DC’s spinning duo, Kuldeep Yadav and Vipraj Nigam, delivered crucial blows with a combined total of 4 for 64 off eight overs. In contrast, the captain Axar Patel only bowled two overs, possibly taking into account the batting match-ups, particularly with Tilak at the crease.
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MI had a fantastic start to the evening as Rohit Sharma confidently struck two boundaries and hit a six off Mitchell Starc’s bowling. However, his determination to continue resulted in him losing balance while attempting a sweep against Nigam, leading to his dismissal for 18 runs due to an lbw decision.
At the other end, Rickelton showed off his batting skills while Suryakumar wasted no time in sending his first ball for a six. This was Suryakumar’s first appearance as No. 3 this season. Starc was also on the receiving end of Rickelton’s impressive shots, with two fours coming off his over, taking advantage of his overpitched deliveries in an attempt to generate late swing.
Kuldeep Yadav entered the match in the eighth over and immediately took charge with a well-executed goggly that left Rickelton struggling to defend. This led to Tilak taking his place at No. 4, wasting no time in showcasing his skills with a series of sweeping shots, including an impressive reverse pick-up shot.
Tilak narrowly escaped on the 20th when Jake Fraser-McGurk made a crucial catch at long-on to prevent Nigam from taking a wicket. However, DC’s luck did not last for long as Kuldeep soon dismissed Suryakumar with a deceiving wrong’un that resulted in a mistimed lofted shot caught at long-off.
Nigam’s persistence paid off with a double-strike when he outplayed Hardik, forcing him to hit a catch to long-off while trying to clear the short straight boundary. This resulted in Tilak and Dhir taking over at the crease, successfully guiding MI past the 200 mark for the rest of their innings.
