In a powerful display of patriotism, Mumbai Indians fans paid a heartfelt tribute to the Indian Armed Forces during their penultimate league clash of IPL 2025 against Delhi Capitals at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday, May 21. The gesture came in response to recent cross-border tensions with Pakistan, prompting an emotional reaction from the crowd.
As the match began, several fans raised a large Indian flag featuring silhouettes of Indian Army personnel, honouring the bravery and sacrifice of the armed forces. The stadium echoed with chants of “Bharat Mata ki Jai,” creating a deeply moving moment that was later shared on the Mumbai Indians’ official social media handles.
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The emotional tribute stood as a reminder of the deep connection between cricket, country, and community, transcending the boundaries of sport.
𝗕𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗧 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗔 𝗞𝗜 𝗝𝗔𝗜 🇮🇳#MumbaiIndians #PlayLikeMumbai #TATAIPL #MIvDC pic.twitter.com/ps3Sjtj8tW
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) May 21, 2025
Meanwhile, on the cricketing front, Delhi Capitals won the toss and opted to bowl first. Mumbai Indians’ innings got off to a rocky start as both openers, Ryan Rickelton and Rohit Sharma, were dismissed early by Kuldeep Yadav and Mustafizur Rahman, respectively. The top-order collapse continued as Will Jacks, batting at No. 3, was sent back for just 21 by Mukesh Kumar.
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The stakes for this encounter are sky-high, with both teams fighting for a playoff berth. A loss here would severely dent Mumbai’s chances, forcing them to rely on other results, particularly hoping for Delhi to lose their final league match against Punjab Kings. Additionally, MI would need to win their last fixture against PBKS at any cost to stay in contention.
Delhi Capitals (Playing XI): Faf du Plessis(c), Abishek Porel(w), Sameer Rizvi, Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Madhav Tiwari, Kuldeep Yadav, Dushmantha Chameera, Mustafizur Rahman, Mukesh Kumar
Mumbai Indians (Playing XI): Ryan Rickelton(w), Rohit Sharma, Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah
