Hardik Pandya‘s inaugural match as captain of the Mumbai Indians (MI) concluded on a disappointing note as his team narrowly lost to his former side, the Gujarat Titans (GT) by six runs, in an intense clash in Ahmedabad on Sunday (March 24).
Collapse in lower middle order leads to MI downfall
Despite MI appearing well-placed in their pursuit of 169 runs, a collapse in the lower middle order following Rohit Sharma‘s departure after a well-crafted 43 off 29 balls allowed GT to gain the upper hand. The calm composure displayed by Mohit Sharma and Umesh Yadav in the death overs guided GT to a hard-earned victory. In a tense finale, requiring 19 runs off the final six deliveries, skipper Hardik Pandya showcased his batting prowess by striking a six and a four off the first two balls from Umesh. However, his subsequent dismissal on the third delivery, caught at long-on, dashed MI’s hopes of victory.
Hardik Pandya faces adversity on the field and from the crowd
Throughout the match, Pandya encountered adversity, enduring jeers from the crowd at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad and facing challenges when bowling during the initial overs. This reception from the spectators may have stemmed from discontent among Gujarat fans, following Pandya’s decision to switch allegiance from the Gujarat to the Mumbai after leading the former for two seasons.
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Post-match animated interaction between Rohit Sharma and Hardik
After the match, during a post-match interaction between players, Pandya approached Rohit who was engaged in conversation with a member of the Gujarat camp. Pandya’s gesture of hugging Rohit from behind initiated a conversation between the two players, with Rohit appearing animated as he seemed to impart advice or discuss pertinent matters with his successor. Rohit’s expressions suggested a hint of dissatisfaction, possibly stemming from MI’s inability to successfully finish the chase, indicating that he might have shared some words of wisdom or critique with Pandya in that moment.
Here’s the video:
Just see this bkl Ambani face when he looking at rohit 😂 pic.twitter.com/8vH0UptJwk
— . (@BaadshahRuler) March 24, 2024
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