The Mumbai Indians' IPL 2025 campaign ended in Ahmedabad on Sunday evening when they lost in Qualifier 2 to the Punjab Kings. Chasing an impressive total of 204 runs, the five-time title holders faltered. Shreyas Iyer The masterclass performance that drove PBKS to their second IPL final. However, despite the defeat ending their championship aspirations, MI’s season remained notably memorable.
True to their history of sluggish beginnings, Mumbai stumbled out of the gate this season, securing only one victory within their initial four matches. However, they regained their footing following an exciting last-over triumph over Delhi Capitals in Delhi, which dramatically altered the course of their campaign.
Led primarily by the core team Suryakumar Yadav , Rohit Sharma , Jasprit Bumrah and captain Hardik Pandya Among others, MI put together a six-game winning run that pulled them into the playoffs and reignited hope for their sixth championship. An intense Eliminator victory against Gujarat Titans left the blue team full of dreams until Iyer closed the game with an undefeated 87 runs from merely 41 deliveries during the pursuit.
After the team’s disappointing elimination, videos of MI players departing from the airport have become widely circulated online, particularly a scene involving Rohit Sharma and Arjun Tendulkar that gained significant attention on social media platforms. In this video, Rohit bid farewell to his Mumbai Indians teammates and staff, with Arjun being among those present.
Watch Rohit's gesture
Rohit Sharma had a challenging beginning to the season but regained his form by scoring an impressive unbeaten 76 against Chennai Super Kings. This was quickly followed by another fifty-run innings (70) in the subsequent game against Sunrisers Hyderabad. During Mumbai Indians' Eliminator victory over Gujarat Titans, Rohit excelled yet again as the Player of the Match, striking an outstanding 81 from just 50 balls, which helped propel the team to an enormous total of 228/5. However, in the Qualifier 2, Rohit struggled and managed only 8 runs.
Jayawardene on defeat
Following the defeat, head coach Mahela Jayawardene expressed feelings of pride mixed with disappointment.
I believe we likely left some runs out on the field with the bat... however, 200 was still an admirable total," he stated, highlighting a middle-over slump during which crucial wickets—Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav—were lost rapidly. "Our performance didn’t meet our usual benchmarks.
Despite this, Jayawardene did not attribute the defeat to individual players; rather, he commended the entire squad for their collective effort throughout the season. "There is much to be proud of considering how we bounced back from our initial performance," he stated additionally. Although Mumbai Indians' innings was anchored by swift opening collaborations and a strategic late push, Iyer’s composed approach during the run-chase turned out to be so refined that it could not be contained.
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