Delhi Capitals' Mukesh Kumar Fined Amid Mumbai Indians' Playoff Triumph

Delhi Capitals' pacer Mukesh Kumar has been fined 10% of his match fee following a significant loss to Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League 2025, as reported by ESPNcricinfo. The defeat officially squashed DC's playoff hopes. Kumar was found guilty under Article 2.2 of the IPL Code of Conduct for abusing cricket gear and admitted to the offense, accepting the penalty proposed by match referee Daniel Manohar.

The match proved challenging for Kumar, who conceded 48 runs in four overs, including five boundaries and three sixes. The 19th over was particularly punishing, yielding 27 runs at the hands of Suryakumar Yadav and Naman Dhir, as Mumbai surged to a robust 180 total. Despite replacing him with KL Rahul as an impact player, Delhi's chase faltered, collapsing to 121 runs, with only a couple of uncapped players crossing the 20-run threshold. Mumbai's bowlers, notably Mitchell Santner and Jasprit Bumrah, excelled, delivering 44 balls for just 23 runs and securing three wickets.

This season, Kumar has participated in 11 of DC's 13 matches, taking 11 wickets but proving costly with an average of 32.63 and an economy rate of 10.11. With Mumbai's victory, the playoff spots are confirmed, leaving Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans, and Punjab Kings to vie for their final standings ahead of the playoffs.

(With inputs from agencies.)