3 things MI need to do right to beat DC in IPL 2025 clash in Delhi ft. Jasprit Bumrah 

The Mumbai Indians (MI) are perhaps the side in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 that are at the top of the under-achieving list. A team that has tons of potential, and is suitable for playing in a modern fashion, has no business being ninth on the points table at this stage of the season.

MI is certainly capable of mounting a comeback, but it is easier said than done. They have the perfect opportunity to make a massive statement as they are set to play the unbeaten Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday, April 13, to close out the weekend.

The Arun Jaitely Stadium has been a happy hunting ground for MI, with four wins in their last five appearances since 2019. The prospect of an MI win against a well-oiled DC outfit should not be a far-fetched idea, especially if Hardik Pandya and Co. turn up in a way they know they can.

On that note, let us take a look at three things MI need to do right to beat DC in the IPL 2025 clash in Delhi

#1 Wisely use Jasprit Bumrah's overs

It did not come across as a massive surprise when Bumrah was not given the new ball in MI's loss to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The two new ball specialists, Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar's impact reduces drastically once the ball stops moving, which is just a handful of overs in modern-day T20 cricket.

Although Bumrah is more than capable of bowling across all phases of the innings, the same cannot be said for the rest of the bowling attack, which makes allotting the overs a bit tricky. The temptation will be there to unleash Bumrah right away, and odds do state that it might succeed, but that might not allow Boult and Chahar to come into play as much as they possibly can.

Bumrah bowled one over in the powerplay, one in the middle, and two in the death against RCB, which arguably seems the right manner to use him. Of course, circumstances can tweak the layout a touch, but this seems like a good enough Plan A without compromising the other bowlers' strengths.

Let's say that DC play a traditional T20I innings, in that case, Bumrah has a shot at bowling at Jake Fraser-McGurk, KL Rahul, Tristan Stubbs, and Ashutosh Sharma with the current formula, giving him a shot against perhaps the four of DC's biggest match-winners with the bat.

#2 End the No.3 conundrum by promoting Tilak Varma

MI's batting line-up at the moment is like trying to move a picture on Microsoft Word. One little tweak and it all falls apart. This is because no matter how it is shaped, someone always seems to be batting out of position. In this particular setup, Tilak Varma and Naman Dhir have had to settle for a role that is not their biggest strength.

To make matters worse, the first-choice No.3, Will Jacks, is also not justifying the team's faith in him. Tilak Varma finally got some momentum under his belt after a tough start to the season, and it is the ideal time for MI to make him the bona fide No.3 at the expense of Will Jacks.

Since there are no compelling options on the bench, Will Jacks may have to bat as low as No.5. If he is able to play with intent in his newfound position, then that gives a nice launching pad for the likes of Naman Dhir and Hardik Pandya, something which they have not had the entire season. The lower middle-order have more or less always had to come while the team is under pressure.

Although Jacks' numbers at No.5 do not paint a compelling story (23 runs in three innings at a strike rate of 104.54), it is a small sample size, and MI are placed at a delicate stage where they have to gamble in some way or the other. Prioritising Tilak Varma is a safe bet considering all factors.

#3 Spin is make or break for MI

Despite six points separating them in the standings, there is not much to separate MI and DC. They are both battling a top-order crisis, have a proper left-handed pace bowling spearhead, a stacked middle-order. But, the key difference between these two sides is their spin bowling department.

Although both have a similar make-up in the form of a couple of left-arm bowlers (one finger spinner, and one wrist spinner), their outputs have been drastically different. Mitchell Santner and Vignesh Puthur have not been an intimidating pair for the opposition in the middle overs, while Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav have been among the best. As a bonus for DC, Vipraj Nigam has blended in seamlessly, allowing Axar Patel to go as early as possible in the powerplay.

Furthermore, the Arun Jaitley Stadium has been a massive hit and miss for the spinners in recent times. The relaid pitch and small dimensions make it difficult for spinners to operate, but some have found a way to be relevant, and such contributions have been match-defining.

MI luckily have four genuine pace bowling options, and can make an early call whether to persist with spin or not. If spinners have a few tough overs early on, gambling on them to continue might prove to be counter-productive, especially if they do not deliver wickets.