Rohit Sharma’s fortune finally ran out in the IPL 2025 playoffs on Sunday, 1 June. After riding his luck to a match-winning 81 in the Eliminator against Gujarat Titans—capitalising on two dropped catches in Mullanpur—Rohit was dismissed for just eight in Qualifier 2, despite another early life at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Rohit fell in the third over, caught in the deep mid-wicket region while attempting to hit Marcus Stoinis out of the attack. Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer surprised many by handing the third over to Stoinis, a part-time medium pacer. The move, however, turned out to be a tactical masterstroke as the Australian all-rounder delivered the breakthrough with his very first over. | IPL Qualifier 2 PBKS vs MI Coverage |
It was a short-pitched delivery that begged to be put away, and Rohit obliged—but failed to middle it.
Stoinis was visibly ecstatic after claiming the prized wicket. The Australian celebrated in animated fashion, roaring in Rohit’s direction on his follow-through. He was quickly joined by his teammates, who recognised the significance of the early breakthrough.
Just two days prior, Rohit had been dropped twice by Gujarat in the Eliminator and went on to score a 50-ball 81 that propelled Mumbai Indians to a commanding total of 228. This time, however, the opener couldn’t ride his luck any further.
Shreyas Iyer’s decision to introduce Stoinis early was a calculated risk, given Punjab were missing key pacer Marco Jansen for the playoffs. With only Arshdeep Singh and Kyle Jamieson as frontline seamers, the skipper was forced to explore alternative options—and it paid off handsomely.
Despite Rohit’s early dismissal, Mumbai maintained an aggressive approach. Jonny Bairstow and Tilak Varma ensured the momentum didn’t drop, powering MI to 65 runs in the powerplay.
Notably, the start of Qualifier 2 between Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians was delayed by two hours and 15 minutes due to rain. Punjab won the toss and elected to field at 7:00 pm IST, only for the skies to open soon after. Fortunately, the game eventually began at 9:45 pm without any reduction in overs.
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