Rohit Sharma had the best time in the capital on Saturday. With the sun refusing to shine brightly and making it a pleasant afternoon in New Delhi, the former captain was clearly in the mood for some fun in the high-octane IPL 2026 clash between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals.
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In the ninth over of the contest, Rohit Sharma tried to make Delhi Capitals waste a review. He did it so well that his opponent fell right into the trap. It happened in Kuldeep Yadav’s over when Delhi appealed to catch Rohit. The superstar batsman attempted a smash but the ball beat him and KL Rahul completed a sharp take down on the leg side.
The Delhi Capitals players, including Kuldeep and Rahul, appealed. Rohit stepped back from his batting position and took a few steps as if going back to the pavilion. His gesture prompted Delhi Capitals to opt for a review, believing the ball had brushed his bat or glove.
The moment the review was accepted, Rohit put on a sheepish smile, fully aware that Delhi Capitals were in on his act. Records later confirmed that it was not an edge or a glove, with the ball hitting his thighs before being caught by Rahul. Delhi Capitals lost the review as a result.
KULDEEP I KNOW WELL: ROHIT
Screengrab by X
During the mid-match chat with the broadcasters, Rohit admitted that he had deliberately tried to lure Delhi Capitals into accepting the review. Having led Kuldeep Yadav in several matches in the past, he said he knew the spinner would be tempted to go up, even if the chance of dismissal was marginal.
“I know Kuldeep quite well. He likes to go for DRS. I was just trying my luck there. I almost got out in the next game. I couldn’t continue. I wanted to go deep into the game but it didn’t happen,” Rohit said, expressing his disappointment at not turning his start into a big score.
“Nothing like that. I was just trying to go through there. I know Kuldeep. He likes to take DRS even if it’s a 50-50 chance. It went in our favour. But like I said, I got out in the very next over,” he added.
Rohit was eventually dismissed by Axar Patel for the fourth time in T20 cricket as the Delhi Capitals skipper once again had the better of the best batting IPL has seen.
After winning the toss and opting to field, Axar Patel’s side got a timely boost when Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya was ruled out due to illness. Stand-in captain Suryakumar Yadav watched from the dugout as Mukesh Kumar dismantled the top order. Mukesh struck twice in the third over, dismissing Ryan Rickelton for 9 and Tilak Varma for a duck, leaving MI struggling at 18 for 2.
Rohit Sharma tried to counter-attack and rolled back the years with a typical six and five boundaries. However, just when he looked set to take control, Axar Patel, who finished with figures of 1 for 22, fooled him with a quicker delivery and induced a mistimed shot to cover. Rohit departed for 35 off 26 balls.
The onus then shifted to Suryakumar Yadav to anchor the innings. On a surface offering grip for spinners and extra bounce for seamers, it produced a measured but impressive stroke. He brought up his half-century off 35 balls, laced with three fours and two signature sixes over fine leg.
His dismissal for 51, trapped leg before wicket by Lungi Ngidi soon after reaching the milestone, halted MI’s momentum in the dying overs. The review showed three reds, leaving Mumbai Indians at 122 for 5 in the 16th over and without their key aggressor.
Naman Dhir contributed a useful cameo of 28 off 21 balls before falling to a short ball from T Natarajan. A late partnership between Mitchell Santner and Corbin Bosch then took the total past the 160 mark. Bosch finished strongly against Mukesh Kumar in the final over, hitting two boundaries to give MI something to defend.
Mukesh Kumar was the standout for Delhi Capitals with figures of 2 for 26 while Lungi Ngidi and Vipraj Nigam kept the pressure on through the middle overs. With the pitch showing signs of dryness, it was a commendable effort from Delhi Capitals to restrict Mumbai India
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Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
04 Apr 2026 18:17 IST
