'Shadow captaincy': Rohit Sharma's 'instructions' from the stands go viral as Mumbai Indians beat Delhi Capitals in IPL thriller

In a thrilling IPL 2025 clash at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Mumbai Indians clinched a 12-run win over Delhi Capitals. But you just don't win the game on the field. While MI celebrated a much-needed victory, it was Rohit Sharma's animated instructions from the dugout that lit up social media, with fans crediting Sharma with 'Shadow Captaincy.'

Rohit Sharma calls shots off the field

Though not part of the fielding unit, Rohit Sharma was far from passive. In pics going viral on social media, Sharma is caught gesturing tactics, signaling field changes, and engaging with the squad from behind the boundary, complimenting captain Hardik Pandya's efforts on the field. The internet quickly crowned him "shadow captain," applauding his leadership instincts—even from off the field.

Fans laud Rohit Sharma

Fans of Rohit Sharma have now taken to social media to laud Rohit Sharma's efforts that they believe played a crucial role in securing MI a much-needed victory.

One fan wrote, "The GOAT leader and 2 ICC trophies winner captain for a reason."

The second user wrote, "Thank you, Rohit sir. My favorite team, Mumbai, is now in a winning position because of you. Hope the paper capacity doesn’t bottle it from here."

One fan noted that even Mumbai Indian's bowling coach, Paras Mahambrey, also appreciated Rohit.?"Once again proved, great captain in Indian cricket history," mentioned X user wrote.

check out some more reactions below:?

DC falls just short despite Karun's fireworks

Chasing 206, Delhi Capitals looked like they might just pull it off — especially when Karun Nair lit up the evening with a fiery 52 off 25 balls. For a while, the momentum was with DC. But then, things started to spiral. In the end, after three back-to-back run-outs, DC crashed to 199 all out, just 12 runs shy, leaving fans shaking their heads.

This marked DC's first defeat in the tournament, while MI secured their second victory.

Teams

Delhi Capitals (Playing XI):?Jake Fraser-McGurk, Abishek Porel, KL Rahul(w), Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel(c), Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Mohit Sharma, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar
Impact Subs:?Darshan Nalkande, Karun Nair, Sameer Rizvi, Donovan Ferreira, Dushmantha Chameera?

Mumbai Indians (Playing XI):?Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton(w), Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah
Impact Subs:?Corbin Bosch, Robin Minz, Ashwani Kumar, Raj Bawa, Karn Sharma?

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