A test of character in elite sports truly arrives during big games and clutch moments, where the great separate themselves from the good. Tristan Stubbs had an opportunity to make a huge impact in the match between Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, only to let it slip.
Mumbai Indians rode on the back of quickfire 40s from Ryan Rickelton and Suryakumar Yadav in Delhi on Sunday to set the foundation for a big score against the Delhi Capitals. However, once the pair had succumbed with seven overs still to spare, the onus fell on Tilak Varma to take the team to the promised land — an opportunity the youngster should never have had if the hosts were on top of their catching abilities during the encounter.
Tilak had raced to 20 at a strike rate of 200 when he found himself up against Vipraj Nigam in the 13th over, and immediately tried to smack the ball between long-on and midwicket off the first delovery he faced from the leg-spinner. However, the ball hit the toe end of his bat and soared high into the night sky, with both Jake Fraser-McGurk and Tristan Stubbs giving it a chase running to their right and left respectively. Even though the Kookaburra seemed to stay in the air for an eternity, the two Delhi men could not make up their mind as to whose catch it was even though JFM was still some way off as the ball dipped while Stubbs was in position. Yet, much to the surprise of all watching, the Proteas kept exchanging glances with his teammate as if expecting JFM to for the grab even though he was closer, and only made up his mind at the last minute to go for the catch. However, it was too late by then, as the white rock rocketed down, hit Stubbs’ mitts, and popped right out while the youngtser took a huge tumble across the turf.
Twitterati could not be more disappinted with the level of fielding on display and took to social media to express their frustration.
AAAAA
MAGICAL!
— KK meneon (@KMeneon2594) April 13, 2025
Nothing can be worse than this if two best fielders of Delhi Capitals will drop catches like this 💔
Jaldi Out karo in cheaters MI ko#DCvMI #MIvDC pic.twitter.com/fXQT1XxJ0m— Niharika Fraser Stubbs (@McGurk_Tristan) April 13, 2025
rare!
Virat and Stubbs dropped catch today
— OG (@chinna_1729) April 13, 2025
Dropped!
Comic scenes between Stubbs and JFM 😬
– Tristan Stubbs dropped Tilak Verma #IPL #TATAIPL #IPL2025 #TATAIPL2025 #DCvMI #DCvsMI #MIvDC #MIvsDC pic.twitter.com/YqObHsXQNf— NightWatchMad 🏏 (@NightWatchMad) April 13, 2025
Solid confusion between Stubbs n Fraser-McGurk who will take catch 😂#IPL #IPL2025 #DCvsMI #DCvMI #MIvsDC #MIvDC #RRvRCB #Rohitsharma #Surya pic.twitter.com/CHXsZXZYgu
— Cric_Lover 🏏 (@ankit_bhattar) April 13, 2025
Tilak on fire!
In trouble!
Anything below 200 and MI are in trouble #DCvsMI
— The 12th Man (@The12thManLiv) April 13, 2025
That was a terrible terrible drop….
Stubbs should have called for it and it should have been a catch….#DCvsMI— Alisha🐼🤍 (@alisharana623) April 13, 2025
Drops!
Vipraj ki kismat hi kharab hai Stubbs drop krdia
— Pranav Singh (@PraniLFC) April 13, 2025
WOW
— KK meneon (@KMeneon2594) April 13, 2025
