Rohit Sharma was at his entertaining best on Saturday in the capital. With the sun refusing to shine brightly and making it a pleasant afternoon in New Delhi, the former captain was clearly in the mood for some fun in the high-octane IPL 2026 clash between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals.

In the ninth over of the contest, Rohit Sharma tried to trick Delhi Capitals into wasting a review. He pulled off the act so well that the opposition fell straight into the trap. It happened in Kuldeep Yadav's over, when Delhi appealed for a caught behind against Rohit. The superstar batter attempted a sweep, but the ball beat him and KL Rahul completed a sharp take down the leg side.

The Delhi Capitals players, including Kuldeep and Rahul, went up in appeal. Rohit stepped away from his batting position, taking a few strides as if he were walking back to the pavilion. His gesture prompted Delhi Capitals to opt for the review, believing the ball had brushed his bat or gloves.

The moment the review was taken, Rohit wore a sheepish smile, fully aware that Delhi Capitals had bought into his act. Replays later confirmed there was no edge or glove involved, with the ball striking his thigh pad before being caught by Rahul. Delhi Capitals, as a result, lost a review.

I KNOW KULDEEP PRETTY WELL: ROHIT

Speaking during a mid-match chat with the broadcasters, Rohit admitted that he had deliberately tried to lure Delhi Capitals into taking the review. Having led Kuldeep Yadav in several matches in the past, he said he knew the spinner would be tempted to go upstairs even if the chance of dismissal was only marginal.

"I know Kuldeep pretty well. He likes to take the DRS. I was just trying a little bit of luck there. I got out pretty much in the next over. I couldn't carry on. I wanted to take the game deep, but it did not happen," Rohit said, expressing disappointment at not converting his start into a big score.

"Nothing like that. I was just trying to walk there. I know Kuldeep. He likes to take DRS even if there is a 50-50 chance. It worked out in our favour. But like I said, I got out in the very next over," he added.

Rohit was eventually dismissed by Axar Patel for the fourth time in T20 cricket, as the Delhi Capitals captain once again had the better of one of the finest batters the IPL has seen.

After winning the toss and opting to field, Axar Patel's side were handed an early boost when Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya was ruled out due to illness. Stand-in skipper Suryakumar Yadav watched from the dugout as Mukesh Kumar dismantled the top order. Mukesh struck twice in the third over, removing Ryan Rickelton for 9 and Tilak Varma for a duck, leaving MI struggling at 18 for 2.

Rohit Sharma attempted to counter-attack, rolling back the years with a trademark pull for six and five boundaries. However, just as he looked set to take control, Axar Patel, who finished with figures of 1 for 22, deceived him with a quicker delivery, inducing a mistimed shot to cover. Rohit departed for 35 off 26 balls.

The responsibility then shifted to Suryakumar Yadav to anchor the innings. On a surface offering grip for the spinners and extra bounce for the seamers, he produced a measured yet impactful knock. He brought up his half-century off 35 balls, laced with three fours and two trademark sixes over fine leg.

His dismissal for 51, trapped leg before wicket by Lungi Ngidi soon after reaching the milestone, stalled MI's momentum in the death overs. The review showed three reds, leaving Mumbai Indians at 122 for 5 in the 16th over and without their key aggressor.

Naman Dhir contributed a useful cameo of 28 off 21 balls before falling to a short ball from T Natarajan. A late partnership between Mitchell Santner and Corbin Bosch then pushed the total past the 160 mark. Bosch finished strongly against Mukesh Kumar in the final over, striking two boundaries to give MI something to defend.

For Delhi Capitals, Mukesh Kumar, with figures of 2 for 26, was the standout performer, while Lungi Ngidi and Vipraj Nigam maintained pressure through the middle overs. With the pitch showing signs of dryness, it was a commendable effort from Delhi Capitals to restrict Mumbai India

- Ends