Even when the heat is on, champions shine — and Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Mitchell Santner are all champions! In a must-win clash against Delhi Capitals, in Match 63 of the TATA IPL 2025, these three match-winners delivered an all-round performance that MI and IPL fans will remember for many years to come.
From nearly being on the backfoot, MI defeated Delhi Capitals convincingly and emphatically by 59 runs to advance into the playoffs, doing so to add to the MI legacy as the team that wins the most when it really counts.
Suryakumar Yadav – The Artist Does It Again
If there was a player who represented fearless personal judgement, with intelligent risk, more than any other, it has to be Suryakumar Yadav. In a game with pressure while facing a tricky surface, he produced an impeccable innings of 73 off just 47 balls, showing the right harmony between waiting for the right moment and unleashing delight.
What made this innings so exceptional, was not the runs, but how he went about scoring.
Understanding the Pitch:
Early in his innings, it was very clear, that this pitch was going to deteriorate as the game progressed, and would become increasingly hard to score runs, particularly as the ball continued to lose shine. Rather than panic that, Surya would not entertain any flamboyant shots; only concentrated on rotating the strike and assessed the conditions with every delivery.
The Many Nicks & Cuts:
Then came mayhem.
In the last three overs, he unleashed hell upon the Delhi bowlers! He was clear in picking his bowlers and hitting the gaps, hitting sixes, without question. MI scored 48 runs in the last two overs, with SKY being the match winner.
Why This Was Important:
Surya’s innings gave Mumbai 180/5, a score that was above par for the pitch, which seemed to vacuum up pace as the game progressed. At the same time, his innings has brought him closer to 600 runs for the season, and is why he is best MI bat at the back end of games.
Jasprit Bumrah – The King of Death
Then there are simple fast bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, who are not only in their own league, but their own class! Delhi were chasing runs and had nothing to lose to MI, while MI needed someone to control the chaos, as but there was total anarchy on that pitch. Bumrah did more than control the detritus of the Delhi innings. He sent shivers down the spines of the Delhi batsmen, then flipped the game upside down with his wizardry, taking 3/12 in 4 overs.
The Yorker’s Master:
Bumrah’s best moment of the match was when he bowled Madhav Tiwari with a dipping yorker. It was bowled from wide of the crease with an angle that brought it into off-stump — it looked like a low full toss, but it dipped violently and broke the stumps. It was a great example of both deception and execution.
Ice in His Veins:
Delhi still had hopes of a late charge with a few hitters left to come. However, Bumrah’s cool, crisp bowling made sure no miracles would happen. He bowled shorts lines, and slightly varied speed and lengths that fooled the batters.
Impact of Delhi:
Any chance of a comeback was ripped apart by Bumrah’s spell that bowled out Delhi’s middle and lower order. Bumrah bowled dots, bowled wickets, and tightened every string of their chase.
Mitchell Santner — The Quiet Assassin
While Suryakumar and Bumrah stole the limelight, it was Mitchell Santner’s quiet and unbeaten havoc that hurt in the middle overs. The Kiwi leg-spinner was near unplayable, with his dream figures of 4-0-11-3.
Web of Spin:
On a pitch that was difficult to time, Santner created questions with every delivery — he used the flight, angle, and tiny changes of pace. Every time Delhi tried to escape, Santner had something for them — whether it was a dot ball, a delivery that deceived them, or a wicket.
Choking the Middle Overs:
When 10 overs were completed, Delhi was struggling at 66/5, thanks to the pressure Santner had created. He’d not allow them to rotate the strike, allow boundaries or free his other MI bowlers an attacking option.
The Ultimate Role Player:
Santner may not be the face of MI’s squad, but he’s a player that can win titles — the player who grips rods game after game, capable suited to the situation and what the team needs from them.
The Three Musketeers – Why They Are Life & Death For Mumbai Indians
MI’s past success has generally come from team depth, but when the players who deliver in the hardest moments are your best players, it lifts the entire side.
Suryakumar Yadav makes sure MI is always posting competitive totals, regardless of the pitch or degree of difficulty.
Jasprit Bumrah kills chases from the start, especially in the death overs.
Mitchell Santner dominates the game, when the momentum could easily swing.
Together, they provide MI with balance, poise, and power – three elements that you HAVE to have in the knockout rounds.
The Future – Can MI Use This Momentum to Win It All?
Having secured the fourth (and last) playoff spot, MI now heads into the knockouts with some momentum. With SKY in rare form, Bumrah bowling clotheslines, and Santner still producing control, the Mumbai Indians have all of the makings of a champion squad.
They have done it before. They have been here before. They have hoisted the trophy before. And if the three musketeers keep playing like they did against Delhi Capitals, there is nothing stopping them from adding another IPL trophy to their trophy case.
Long Story Short:
When the lights are the shiniest, the stars of MI shine the brightest. And in Match 63, Suryakumar, Bumrah, and Santner shined at Wankhede – and IPL 2025 – with a performance reminding everyone why that’s the case. MI is never done until they are well and truly done.
