Rohit’s Payback & Jadeja’s Giggles Moments on A Payback Night

Wankhede was witness to another new chapter of the IPL’s biggest rivalry, and it had it all: big sixes, cheeky banter, a teenager in the spotlight, and Rohit Sharma making a statement! The “el Clásico” – match between the Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2025, match 38, was not only a match, it was more of an event.

The CSK side had a tough time not sitting in the bottom half of the table, while MI finally ended their spiral downwards against their old foe in CSK with their first win against CSK since 2022, no less. There were some special batting performances and a bit of spice within the match, making this clash one for fans to talk about (and tweet about).

Rohit vs Khaleel

If you recall, Khaleel Ahmed has dismissed Rohit Sharma three times (out of seven innings), so it wouldn’t be wrong to say that left-arm pacers have been a thorn in Rohit’s side for the last couple of seasons. But on Sunday, it looked like he had been waiting for this opportunity. 

Rohit changed the state of the game in the third over of MI’s chase with a six over the boundary rope, followed by a copy-book cover drive that was all vintage Sharma and another four (again over mid-off). The Khaleel threat? Absolutely neutralized with a schooling 76* off 45 balls.

This was more than a battle of stats—it was a reminder that form is temporary but class (particularly Hitman’s) is permanent.

Ashwani Kumar’s Nightmare Over

In every star moment of a match, there’s usually a player who has a moment they want to forget. Unfortunately for young MI left-arm seam bowler Ashwani Kumar, that moment happened in the 16th over of the CSK innings. 

The match didn’t start well, and went downhill from there. A full delivery that was clobbered over the covers in a haze of excitement for four by Jadeja. Shivam Dube was called. First ball, he had a full toss smashed over the rope. Then another six – same results, different angles. To add insult to injury, Jadeja ended the over with another six to get the Wankhede crowd hissing and buzzing.

The 23-year-old ended with figures of 2-0-42-1, with that 24-run over becoming one of the most talked about and probably most painful moments of the match.

Also Read: CSK in IPL 2025: The Relatable Struggle of Turning Chaos into Comeback

Jadeja and Rohit’s Mid-Pitch Banter Show

It’s bound to get a bit tense in a close contest, such as MI versus CSK. But once in a while, it’s bound to get comical too. When Rohit Sharma walked out to attempt a reverse sweep against Ravindra Jadeja in the seventh over of the MI batting innings, he missed. Classic Jadeja – he sensed an opportunity for drama. He appealed (unsuccessfully) for LBW, but continued his drama and ran to MS Dhoni, did a quirky smile, and then came back to Rohit in the middle of the pitch, talking about DRS. Rohit couldn’t help but smile.

It was fun, it was spontaneous, and it was peak Jadeja. In a match that is filled with nothing but tension, this moment reminded fans that there’s an added element of character, companionship, and sometimes a bit of fun in cricket. 

As IPL 2025 unfolds, one thing is for sure – there is always added spice in every MI vs CSK encounter. Who do you reckon will finish in a higher position on the table this year? More importantly, who wins the next chapter in this storied rivalry? The expansion of its narrative lives on; now it’s your turn to tell us in the comments.

Disclaimer: This cricket blog reflects the author’s insights and analysis. Readers should consider the points discussed and draw their own conclusions.

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alison richard

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