Mumbai Indians (MI) snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against Delhi Capitals (DC) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) match on Sunday, April 13. At one point, it looked like DC would breeze past MI's 206 runs in a canter. However, in the final stages of the game, the Hardik Pandya-led side held their nerves and registered their second win in the IPL 2025 season. Former MI player Harbhajan Singh lauded Rohit Sharma for this terrific win and said it was the opener's tactical move to bring a spinner in the middle overs that led to MI's come-from-behind victory.
For the unversed, the former MI skipper, who was in the dugout, made a brilliant decision. In the 14th over, Rohit Sharma signaled to leg spinner Karn Sharma, asking him to opt for a new ball. As per the new rules, teams can opt for a ball change in the second innings after the 10th over to limit the impact of dew. MI got the ball changed and was instantly rewarded, with Karn taking the wicket of Tristan Stubbs.
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An over later, the leg spinner got the vital wicket of in-form batter KL Rahul, and MI was unstoppable from that point. Harbhajan stated that MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene was not aligned with Rohit Sharma's ploy to opt for a ball change and to choke DC with spinners towards the end stage of the innings.
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Harbhajan Singh lavishes praise on Rohit Sharma's tactical brilliance in DC vs MI clash
"Rohit Sharma played the masterstroke. He asked the head coach, Mahela Jayawardene, to employ spinners and bring Karn Sharma into the attack. Mahela Jayawardene refused to listen to Rohit and wasn't on board with the decision. If they had gone with what Jayawardene had to say, the Mumbai Indians would have also lost this game. Rohit Sharma was there, he made the best move. He is the captain. He always thinks like a captain. A captain is always the captain, and his tactical acumen helped Mumbai win," said Harbhajan on his YouTube channel.
"Karn Sharma came into the attack and took three wickets, turning the game's tide. It was a gold move. This wouldn't have happened when Tilak Varma retired against Lucknow, and Mitchell Santner was sent in if Rohit Sharma had been in the dugout. Mahela Jayawardene made a bad move. Rohit was incredible against Delhi Capitals. Sometimes, the coaches must keep their egos aside and consider how the team can benefit. I hope Rohit Sharma keeps sharing his inputs from the dugout," he added.
For the uninitiated, DC was cruising with Karun Nair's (89 runs) leading the charge. They were 135 runs for the loss of just two wickets in pursuit of MI's 206 runs. However, Nair's wicket of the bowling off Mitchell Santner turned the game decisively as DC were consigned to their first defeat of the IPL 2025 campaign at home.
