DUBAI: Brilliant hostile bowling led by New Zealander Trent Boult took Mumbai Indians to an emphatic five-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals and a fifth Indian Premier League title on Tuesday.
Boult struck twice in his first two overs as Mumbai kept Delhi to 156-7 and the reigning champions raced to the target in 18.4 overs with skipper Rohit Sharma hitting 68.
Sharma, 33, led the chase in his 200th IPL appearance to inspire the most successful team in the Twenty20 tournament to add to triumphs in 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019.
Boult, who was traded to Mumbai from Delhi Capitals last November, took opener Marcus Stoinis with the first ball of the final in Dubai, giving his old team a grim warning of the tough night ahead in the empty stadium.
“It’s been a good few months, giving the franchise a good start,” said Boult after being named man of the match.
“With everything going on, I’ve been welcomed in the side. To have made it across the line, it’s been worth it.”
Ajinkya Rahane was caught behind for two in Boult’s next over. Jasprit Bumrah’s fiery pace also kept Delhi in check.
Mumbai brought in off-spinner Jayant Yadav to bowl the fourth over and he immediately bowled in-form opener Shikhar Dhawan for 15.
Delhi skipper Shreyas Iyer, who made an unbeaten 65, and Rishabh Pant rebuilt the innings with a partnership of 96.
But Australian paceman Nathan Coulter-Nile took Pant’s wicket for 56 — his first fifty of a disappointing season.
Boult got Shimron Hetmyer for five with a slower short ball and he returned figures of 3-30 from four overs of devastating left-arm pace.
Iyer went past 500 runs in a season for the first time but Delhi managed just 38 runs in the last five overs, with the loss of three wickets, and Mumbai quickly took control of the run chase.
Sharma and Quinton de Kock set a blistering pace with 45 runs in the first 25 balls before De Kock was caught behind off Stoinis for 20. Later Suryakumar Yadav was run out for 19 in a mix-up with Sharma.
Sharma hit four sixes and five fours in his 51-ball innings and nearly finished the game off with Ishan Kishan but fell to South African quick Anrich Nortje just before the end.
Kishan, who scored over 500 runs in 14 games, stood firm with his unbeaten 33 as Mumbai got the better of Delhi for the fourth time this year, including a drubbing in the first semifinal qualifier.
“I wasn’t looking in good shape at the start of this season, so I had a good chat with Hardik (Pandya) and Krunal (Pandya),” said Kishan.
“Wanted to do what was good for the team with the bat and score big runs.”
Delhi fast bowler Kagiso Rabada took the wicket of Kieron Pollard, for nine, to lead this season’s bowling rankings with 30 scalps over Mumbai’s Bumrah on 27.
England paceman Jofra Archer was named the most valuable player of the tournament for his 20 wickets for bottom-placed Rajasthan Royals.
Mumbai Indians thrash Delhi to take fifth IPL title
https://arab.news/2pt6z
Mumbai Indians thrash Delhi to take fifth IPL title
- Boult struck twice in his first two overs as Mumbai kept Delhi to 156-7 and the reigning champions raced to the target in 18.4 overs with skipper Rohit Sharma hitting 68
- Sharma, 33, led the chase in his 200th IPL appearance to inspire the most successful team in the Twenty20 tournament to add to triumphs in 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019
Real Madrid, Zalgiris headline adidas NextGen EuroLeague in Abu Dhabi
- 8 top under-18 teams compete for place in Athens final in May
- Tournament is at city’s Space42 Arena from Feb. 27 to March 1
RIYADH: Abu Dhabi will have Europe’s brightest young basketball talent this week at the adidas NextGen EuroLeague tournament.
Eight of the continent’s leading under-18 teams will compete from Feb. 27 to March 1 at Space42 Arena, with a place at the finals in Athens on the line. The finals in May will be staged alongside the EuroLeague Final Four in the Greek capital.
Defending continental champions Zalgiris Kaunas and five-time title holders Real Madrid headline the Abu Dhabi qualifier, which forms part of the 2025–26 adidas NextGen EuroLeague season.
The eight teams have been divided into two groups of four and will play in a round-robin format. The winners of each group will advance to Sunday’s championship game, while placement fixtures will determine the remaining standings.
The Abu Dhabi event follows the Ulm qualifier, won by U18 Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana, who have already secured their place in Athens. The winners of upcoming tournaments in Bologna (March 13–15) and Belgrade (March 20–22) will complete the finals lineup.
Group A features Real Madrid alongside U18 Aris Thessaloniki, U18 Dubai Basketball and U18 AS Monaco.
Aris enter their third season in the competition, having finished seventh at the Munich qualifier last year with a 2–2 record after placing sixth in Abu Dhabi the previous campaign.
Dubai Basketball are also competing in their third NextGen season. The UAE side finished eighth in Ulm last year with a 0–4 record but claimed a notable win over U18 Mega Super Belgrade at the NextGen Finals.
However, they missed another victory against U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan to finish 1–2 overall. Dubai previously hosted a 2024 qualifier, ending with a 1–3 record.
Monaco make their second appearance after an eighth-place finish in Paris in 2024.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, will be aiming to reassert their dominance after an uncharacteristic third-place finish at last season’s Munich qualifier ended a streak of 11 consecutive qualifying tournament victories.
The Spanish powerhouse had also won 19 straight NextGen games dating back to the 2022 finals in Belgrade before falling to Zalgiris in the group stage last year.
Real are the competition’s most successful club with five continental titles (2015, 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2024) and are competing in their 19th consecutive season since 2007–08.
Group B has reigning champions Zalgiris Kaunas take on U18 London Lions, U18 Next Gen Team Abu Dhabi and U18 Valencia Basket. London Lions make their tournament debut as the club continues to expand their European presence.
The Next Gen Team Abu Dhabi compete in their fifth season and second under head coach Dogus Balbay, a two-time EuroLeague champion. He is assisted by former Italian international Massimo Bulleri and Kheeryoung Rhee.
Valencia Basket are making their 10th appearance in the competition and their eighth in succession. The Spanish side have twice reached the finals, in Vitoria-Gasteiz in 2019 and as hosts in 2021, and finished runners-up in Munich last season after three consecutive fifth-place finishes.
Zalgiris, one of the most storied names in the tournament’s history, are appearing in their 24th edition — having featured in every NextGen season since its inception.
The Lithuanian club won the inaugural event in 2003, added another title in 2007 and lifted the trophy again last summer in Abu Dhabi. They also reached the championship game in 2005, 2006 and 2011, underlining their pedigree at youth level.
