Defending champions Mumbai Indians lift their fifth IPL title
Dubai: A peerless Rohit Sharma led defending champions Mumbai Indians to their fifth IPL title with a one-sided demolition of Delhi Capitals here on Tuesday, closing an immensely successful tournament that had to be played in a controlled environment amid the raging COVID-19 pandemic.
If last year's one-run win over Chennai Super Kings was an absolute cliffhanger, Rohit's aristocratic 68 off 50 balls made it an anti-climax with Mumbai Indians chasing the target of 157 in 18.4 overs.
Five IPL titles are certain to make Rohit the undisputed 'Numero Uno' player-cum-leader in the IPL Universe.
He has played way better knocks than this in the past and will play a few more special ones in the future.
But he might never play a more significant one considering the little whirlpool of controversy that his "once damaged and now on the mend hamstring" created.
The 'Hit-Man' has given an altogether new meaning to what has one known till now about crushing pain barriers.
A hamstring injury can be very painful but the manner in which India's regular white-ball skipper exploded inside the 'Ring of Fire' at the Dubai International Stadium, he was fighting a battle of his own.
The cover drive was about his class, the whiplash behind square was his swagger and the so very familiar "Rohit Sharma pull shot" was an assurance to BCCI president Sourav Ganguly that "All Is Well".
And to prove a point, he fetched those doubles, tap and run singles including a misjudged one that saw Suryakumar Yadav (19) sacrificing his wicket for his skipper and rightly so.
The carrom ball bowled by Ashwin was deposited to point fence with a cracking square cut and the straight-six off leg spinner Praveen Dubey was "Boss Man" written all over it.
There has never been an edition where a team has looked in a different league compared to seven others.
As Rohit had said earlier, it's not rocket science but investing in pure match-winners that has given Mumbai Indians such a menacing look.
Rome wasn't built in a day and neither a champion outfit that has now won five titles out of the six finals it has played.
If Jasprit Bumrah wreaked havoc in the Qualifier one, Trent Boult (3/30) decided that final was his turn to inflict the damage and he did it with a first ball beauty that Marcus Stoinis will remember for years to come.
Nathan Coulter-Nile looked like a weak-link but got the dangerous Rishabh Pant (56 off 38 balls) at the nick of time to put the brakes.
Rohit's batting only finished what looked inevitable but it was his captaincy that set it up.
Only 45 runs conceded in the last five overs during the DC innings was a game-changer as Shreyas Iyer (65 no off 50 balls) literally struggled during the end overs.
That was the time when save for Bumrah (0/28 in 4 overs), Boult and Coulter-Nile took the pace off the deliveries with slow bouncers and cutters making it difficult to hit.
And the decision to have off-spinner Jayant Yadav replace leg-spinner Rahul Chahar also proved to be a success.
Jayant, a former India player, did what was required. Bowled an off-break inducing an in-form Shikhar Dhawan (15) to go for a hoick against the turn and get bowled.
At 22 for 3, Delhi were going for another capitulation before Iyer and Pant steadied the ship with a 96-run stand that had some great shots in it.
But in the end, it will be a mere footnote on a day that belonged to one and only 'Captain Marvel' Rohit Sharma.
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Unemployment is biggest problem faced by youth, it is directly linked to 'vote chori': Rahul Gandhi
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday claimed that as long as elections are "stolen", unemployment and corruption will continue to rise, and asserted that young people will no longer tolerate "job theft" and "vote theft".
In a post on X in Hindi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said unemployment is the biggest problem facing youth in India and it is directly linked to "vote chori".
When a government wins public trust and comes to power, its first duty is to provide employment and opportunities to the youth, he said.
"But the BJP doesn't win elections honestly -- they stay in power by stealing votes and controlling institutions," Gandhi alleged.
That's why unemployment has reached a 45-year high, he said.
"That's why jobs are declining, recruitment processes have collapsed, and the future of youth is being jeopardised. That's why every exam paper leak and every recruitment is linked to stories of corruption," Gandhi said.
भारत में युवाओं की सबसे बड़ी समस्या बेरोज़गारी है - और इसका सीधा रिश्ता वोट चोरी से है।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 23, 2025
जब कोई सरकार जनता का विश्वास जीतकर सत्ता में आती है, तो उसका पहला कर्तव्य होता है युवाओं को रोज़गार और अवसर देना।
लेकिन BJP चुनाव ईमानदारी से नहीं जीतती - वो वोट चोरी और संस्थाओं को कैद कर… pic.twitter.com/DlDmdYOl5i
"The country's youth work hard, dream, and fight for their future. But (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi is solely focused on his PR, getting celebrities to sing praises for him, and billionaire profits. It has become the government's identity to shatter the hopes of the youth and leave them frustrated," the former Congress chief said.
"Now, the situation is changing. India's youth understand that the real fight isn't just for jobs, but against vote theft. Because as long as elections are stolen, unemployment and corruption will continue to rise," he said.
Young people will no longer tolerate "job theft" or "vote theft", Gandhi asserted.
"The ultimate patriotism now lies in freeing India from unemployment and vote theft," he said.
Gandhi also shared a split screen video montage of police lathi-charging protesting students seeking jobs on one half of the screen and Prime Minister Modi planting saplings, feeding peacocks and practising Yoga on the other half of the screen.
