Mumbai Indians’ rising star Ashwani Kumar produced a moment of sheer brilliance on the field, taking a sensational forward diving catch to dismiss Punjab Kings opener Prabhsimran Singh during the high-voltage IPL clash at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Monday evening.
The incident unfolded in the 5th over of Punjab Kings’ innings, with Jasprit Bumrah steaming in and delivering a sharp, rising ball outside off. Prabhsimran, who was looking to accelerate after a cautious start, slashed at the delivery, only to get a thick outside edge. Positioned at deep third man, Ashwani Kumar sprinted forward and timed his dive to perfection, getting both hands under the ball just inches from the turf.
The stadium erupted as Kumar’s stunning catch sent Prabhsimran back to the pavilion for 13 runs off 16 balls. The dismissal was not only a key breakthrough for MI, but a personal moment of redemption for Kumar.
Just an over earlier, the young fielder had dropped a relatively straightforward chance offered by the same batter, off the bowling of Deepak Chahar. But demonstrating grit and presence of mind, Kumar redeemed himself with a much tougher opportunity — showing that fielding at the highest level is as much about mental toughness as physical agility.
IPL 2025: Mumbai Indians are taking on Punjab Kings at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium
Two out of the four teams qualifying for IPL 2025 playoffs will be in action when Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings on May 26, Monday at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. The race for the top two will resume yet again and Mumbai Indians will sense some upper hand after Punjab Kings' loss to the Delhi Capitals.
Although Punjab Kings' batting unit looks top-notch, led by Shreyas Iyer, their bowling has emerged as a glaring weakness after the Capitals hunted down 207 comprehensively on Saturday. To compound matters, PBKS' assistant coach Sunil Joshi confirmed that Yuzvendra Chahal has an injury but was optimistic he will be fit for playoffs. Moreover, Marco Jansen will be unavailable for the playoffs due to returning home for WTC final preparations; hence, it will be interesting to see how Punjab deal with it.
Mumbai Indians' six-match winning streak was halted by the Gujarat Titans at the Wankhede Stadium with a thrilling victory. However, they made a thunderous return, demolishing the Capitals by 59 runs to qualify for the playoffs. The five-time champions are known to raise their game at this stage of the tournament; hence, the Punjab Kings will be wary of it. It will also be the first time Punjab Kings faces the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025.
