NEW DELHI: Hardik Pandya had a tough day on Sunday as Mumbai Indians faced defeat against Gujarat Titans in their opening fixture of Indian Premier League 2024 season.
The match, held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, didn’t go as planned for Pandya and his team.
Criticisms arose for some of Pandya’s decisions during the game, starting from the toss where he elected to bowl first.When asked about the team combination by presenter Ravi Shastri, Pandya kept the names of the overseas players MI picked a secret, stating they had ‘four quicks, three spinners, and seven batters’ to cover all departments. This led to a humorous remark from former India head coach Anil Kumble on Jio Cinema, with AB de Villiers joining in on the banter.
“I would never expect Hardik to tell us the names as well. Four fast bowlers, three spinners, five batters, 11 fielders, we all know that. Who are those?”
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In the match, Mumbai managed to restrict Gujarat to 168 for six, with Jasprit Bumrah shining with figures of 3 for 14.
In the chase, unheralded Naman Dhir’s quick start and a solid partnership between Rohit Sharma and Dewald Brevis put MI in a good position, needing 55 runs from the last eight overs with seven wickets in hand.
However, Gujarat’s stellar death bowling turned the tide, leading to Mumbai’s defeat by six runs. This loss extended GT’s winning streak against MI at home and highlighted MI’s struggle to win their opening fixture since 2012.
Overall, it was a disappointing start for Hardik and Mumbai Indians in IPL 2024, as they aim to bounce back in the upcoming matches.