Delhi Capitals’ interim captain, Faf du Plessis, expressed disappointment as his team’s defeat to Mumbai Indians (MI) by 59 runs at the Wankhede Stadium spelled the end of their IPL 2025 playoff hopes. The match saw MI secure the final playoff berth.
The Capitals, bowling first, seemed poised to restrict MI to a modest score with the hosts at 132 for 5 after 18 overs. However, Suryakumar Yadav and Naman Dhir’s late blitz added 48 runs in the final two overs, leading MI to 180. DC’s reply ended at 121.
“We were excellent in the field today. The guys showed great fight,” said du Plessis post-match. “The pitch wasn’t easy to bat on, which might have helped our bowlers. But MI has a robust batting line-up, and we let it slip in the last two overs. Momentum is crucial in cricket, and they took it away from us with that strong finish.”
Entering the game, DC needed a win, trailing MI by a point and having lost four of their previous five encounters. Du Plessis also mentioned the absence of regular captain Axar Patel, sidelined by illness, who could have made an impact on the spin-friendly surface, highlighted by left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner’s figures of 4-0-11-3.
“I’m a big believer in maintaining momentum and not taking it for granted,” du Plessis added. “When you are performing well, it can feel like everything aligns for you. In recent games, though, we’ve struggled to regain that momentum, not executing the basics in both batting and bowling.”
DC now reflects on a season of near misses, understanding that maintaining momentum and performing consistently remain key. Further details on their approach and plans moving forward are yet to come.
Faf du Plessis
Delhi Capitals
MI vs DC
Indian Premier League
