Follow UsDelhi Capitals’ 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) can be divided into two halves, where they lost just two of their first seven games, but after that, in the next six games, they lost four and one game was a no-result.
With such a hot-cold kind of performance the Capitals were always running the risk of losing steam towards the end of the season, and similar issues surfaced against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede on May 21 as DC were swatted away by 59 runs.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, stand-in skipper Faf du Plessis identified this loss of momentum as a key factor in DC losing this game and not qualifying for the playoffs.
“Momentum is a real thing in cricket. The way they counter-punched to get almost 50 in the last two overs, it was the undoing of the work in the first 17-18 overs, and we lost that momentum,” du Plessis said.
“Felt we were excellent in the field - the guys showed great fight. The bowlers pitched up. Not the easiest pitch to bat on. We let it slip in the last two overs. If you look at the two teams, it was a case of David and Goliath. I enjoy that because it gives you the opportunity to play as a team.”
The Proteas batter added that the story of this match, where they lost control at the end, is actually reflective of the pattern of their performances in the season, as either batting or bowling hasn’t come good in the second half of the tournament.
“It sums up our season - we have been cold either in the batting or the bowling in the last seven or eight games. Perhaps a fair reflection,” du Plessis said.
“I am a big believer that you never take it (momentum) for granted. In the last two games, it was a fight to get that momentum back. So, it is about not losing that (momentum) quickly when you are on top of the wave.”