In one of the most absurd finishes ever witnessed in IPL history, Delhi Capitals imploded dramatically in the 19th over of their run-chase, losing three wickets to run outs in the space of the last three balls of the 19th over, handing Mumbai Indians a sensational 12-run win at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday.
Chasing 206, DC appeared to have the game in control, needing just 23 runs off the final 12 balls with three wickets in hand. But in a bizarre end to the game, they collapsed from 193/7 to getting all out on the same score in a matter of three deliveries — without even allowing Mitchell Starc, a dangerous hitter in the lower order, a chance to face a single ball.
It was Jasprit Bumrah, calm as ever under pressure, who set the collapse in motion. The 19th over started with two boundaries from Ashutosh Sharma – a cheeky reverse-ramp followed by a thick outside edge that raced behind third-man for four – bringing the equation down to 15 required off 9 deliveries. But what followed was total chaos.
Ball four saw Ashutosh carve one to the deep and push hard for two, only to be caught short at the striker’s end by a rocket throw from Will Jacks. Ball five, Kuldeep Yadav pushed one and sprinted back for a second, but another sharp throw, this time from Raj Bawa with Rickelton whipping off the bails, found him inches short. Two run-outs in two balls and DC were suddenly down to their last wicket.
And then came the most inexplicable moment of them all. On the final ball, Mohit Sharma, on strike for the first time, pushed a full delivery towards mid-wicket. Starc, the non-striker, called him through for a quick single, but Mohit barely responded. Mitchell Santner pounced and hit the stumps with a direct hit, catching Mohit Sharma well short of his ground. Three run-outs in three balls, and with that, MI sealed their second win of the season in the most astonishing fashion.
This was just the second time in IPL that a single over saw three run-outs – and once again, Mumbai Indians found themselves in the thick of it. The only other instance dates back to the inaugural 2008 season at the Wankhede Stadium, when Yuvraj Singh pulled off a stunning final-ball run-out of Vikrant Yeligati to hand Punjab Kings a nerve-wracking one-run win.
Nair’s knock goes in vain
Karun Nair, playing his first match of the 2025 season, had set the chase up beautifully with a sparkling 89 off just 40 balls, keeping the scoreboard ticking with effortless boundaries and placement. But his dismissal earlier in the 12th over triggered an ugly batting collapse.
Mumbai Indians have now moved to seventh spot with two victories this season, while DC suffered their first defeat after four successive wins.
