In a crucial IPL 2025 clash between Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, it was Nehal Wadhera’s brilliance in the field that turned heads early in the match. On Monday, Wadhera pulled off a stunning catch to dismiss the seasoned Rohit Sharma just when MI looked set to shift gears.
PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to field first in this must-win encounter. Mumbai began confidently, riding on a solid opening partnership between Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton, who added 45 runs inside the powerplay. The partnership was broken in the fifth over when Marco Jansen dismissed Rickelton for a quickfire 27.
Rohit, alongside Suryakumar Yadav, kept the scoreboard ticking as they navigated the middle overs effectively. Their partnership looked threatening until Nehal Wadhera produced a moment of brilliance in the field that shifted momentum in PBKS’s favour.
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In the 10th over, left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar floated one around the leg stump. Rohit attempted to clear the infield but miscued his shot, striking the ball low off the bat toward long-on. It seemed destined to land safely—until Wadhera sprinted forward and flung himself full length to complete a sensational low catch. Rohit walked back for 24 off 20, just when he seemed poised to accelerate.
BIG Game. BIG wicket. 🔝 Catch 👏
Nehal Wadhera does brilliantly to grab a tough catch and send back Rohit Sharma! 👌
Updates ▶ https://t.co/Dsw52HOtga#TATAIPL | #PBKSvMI | @PunjabKingsIPL pic.twitter.com/roDFBL9p5C
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 26, 2025
The breakthrough opened the floodgates for PBKS. Soon after, Tilak Varma fell cheaply for 1 in the very next over, and Will Jacks, despite looking promising, perished for 17 to Vijaykumar Vyshak in the 13th over.
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At the time of reporting, MI were 106 for 4 in the 13th over. With the top order faltering, the onus now lies on Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, and Naman Dhir to anchor the innings and push the total to a competitive score.
