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Mumbai Indians 'Player of the Match' Karn Sharma outlined the impact created by the change of ball and chose his favourite wicket out of the three priceless scalps he bagged scythed in a pulsating clash against Delhi Capitals in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.
The seasoned leg spinner played a starring role in a game where the odds were stacked against Mumbai. Delhi were cruising in the chase despite pursuing a daunting 206-run target. Karn got the breakthrough by ending the 119-run partnership between Karun Nair and Abhishek Porel by removing the latter on 33(25). After Karun handsomely clobbered Mumbai bowlers with his blistering 89(40), the onus fell on the middle order to see off the chase for the hosts. The sense of calmness and composure echoed in DC's camp, with KL Rahul dictating the terms of play at the crease. Even after skipper Axar Patel's early dismissal, Tristan Stubbs arrived at the crease, offering assurance that DC still had control over the proceedings. With the dew factor heavily impacting MI's cause to defend the total, the visitors decided to exercise the option of changing the ball before the 13th over. Skipper Hardik Pandya didn't waste time, and straightaway threw the ball into the hands of the leg spinner. Karn made an instant impact by having Stubbs (1) caught cheaply at long-on with a tossed-up delivery. In his next over, he caught the big fish KL Rahul in his spin trap to cut the wings of DC's high-flying chase. "Feels very good that my hard work has paid off. Whenever I get a chance, I want to do my best. It's a big tournament, only 12 can play. I just focus on my process, the rest is not in my hands. KL Rahul's wicket was my favourite. That catch was very important at that stage of the game," Karn said in the post-match presentation. Karn admitted that the change in ball played a massive part in influencing the game's fate. He returned with sizzling figures of 3/36 in MI's 12-run triumph, their second of the season. "I pray a lot that I do well when I get a chance and that the teams win. There was no dew in the first innings, and changing the ball meant that we got some more grip. That was good," he added. As Hardik Pandya-led side ended DC's four-match unbeaten streak, the five-time champions, MI, will now shift their focus on their upcoming fixture against struggling Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday. (ANI)
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