After beating Delhi Capitals by 29 runs at the Wankhede Stadium, Hardik Pandya and the Mumbai squad gave the crowd, a majority of them schoolchildren, a lap of honor to acknowledge their support. “It was a lot of hard work,” Hardik Pandya said after the game.
Hardik Pandya said the team finally had a settled look to it. On Sunday, they welcomed Suryakumar Yadav back into the XI after he missed the start of the season because he was recovering from injury. While his innings lasted only two deliveries, the start Mumbai made in the powerplay through Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan – 75 for 0 in six overs – helped lay the foundation for 234 for 5, their third-highest total.
Hardik Pandya scored 39 of 33 balls as Mumbai Indians registered their first win in IPL 2024
Mumbai Indians finally got off the mark in IPL2 204 on Sunday at the Wankhede Stadium after they beat Delhi Capitals in a high-scoring thriller. There was much criticism of the MI team and of Hardik Pandya’s captaincy after the team succumbed to a hat-trick of losses at the start of the season, but Romario Shepherd’s thundering cameo helped the home team get their first win on board. But more than the victory, it was the wholesome moment between Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma, after the match, that went viral on social media.
Put to bat first at home, Mumbai got off to a blazing start with openers Ishan Kishan and Rohit stitching an 80-run partnership before Axar Patel and Anrich Nortje struck at regular intervals, picking two wickets each, to keep Delhi in the contest. But a slog-over masterclass from Tim David and Shepherd, who smashed five sixes and eight boundaries between themselves to stitch a 55-run stand in just 13 balls, saw MI finish with 234 for five.
In response, Prithvi Shaw played a crucial role at the top of the order with his 40-ball 66 before No. 4 Tristan Stubbs carved out 71 off 25, which included seven sixes, to keep Delhi in the run chase. But a middle-order collapse inflicted by Gerald Coetzee saw Delhi being restricted to 205 for eight in 20 overs.
Hardik Pandya was elated after the 29-run win, his first win as Mumbai Indians captain. He later shared a warm hug with former captain Rohit, who patted his back, congratulating him on the victory as the wholesome moment went viral on social media. Aakash Chopra has observed that Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Hardik Pandya played a slow knock in their IPL 2024 clash against the Delhi Capitals (DC). However, he feels a slightly cautious approach was the need of the hour.
Hardik Pandya did play slow but it was required at that stage- Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra has noted that Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Hardik Pandya played a slow knock in their IPL 2024 clash against the Delhi Capitals (DC). However, he feels a slightly cautious approach was the need of the hour.
Hardik Pandya scored a 33-ball 39 as MI set DC a mammoth 235-run target in Mumbai on Sunday, April 7. The home team then restricted Rishabh Pant and company to 205/8 to register a 29-run win and open their account in the tournament. Reflecting on the Mumbai Indians’ innings in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra praised Hardik and Tim David (45* off 21) for bailing them out of a slight spot of bother.
“The wheels got stuck in the middle. Suddenly it seemed like it wouldn’t work out because Tilak Varma also got out. Ishan Kishan had also gotten out after Rohit Sharma. They were 121/4 at one stage. The team was stuck and they needed a good partnership there,” he explained
“Hardik Pandya was there with Tim David. Hardik Pandya did play slow for sure but it was required at that stage because if one more wicket had fallen, the game was done and dusted. Then Mohammad Nabi would have had to come up the order. However, they played there and took the game deeper,” the former India opener added.
Chopra lauded Romario Shepherd for taking Anrich Nortje to the cleaners in the final over.
“Tim David then started hitting sixes. Anrich Nortje was thrashed – 32 runs in the last over. Romario Shepherd – we used to play a game in our childhood – Super Mario. He kept hitting like Super Mario. Shepherd did an incredible job,” he said.
Shepherd smashed an unbeaten 39 off just 10 deliveries. He smoked Nortje for four sixes and two fours in the last over to help MI set an imposing target for DC.
Aakash Chopra lauds Mumbai Indians opener Rohit Sharma for giving brisk start at the top
Aakash Chopra also appreciated Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan for giving the Mumbai Indians a flying start.
“The way Mumbai started with the bat, they were flying rockets. How well was Rohit Sharma batting. When Rohit Sharma bats like this, he does it differently. He didn’t score a half-century – no problem whatsoever, because you become breathless when you start reading their batting lineup, even Gerald Coetzee bats,” he stated
“So everyone should keep hitting. That’s what he started doing and Ishan Kishan was there with him. Both reached close to their fifties but got out. Axar Patel started picking up wickets,” the cricketer-turned-commentator added.
Rohit and Kishan (42 off 23) added 80 runs for the first wicket in just seven overs. Although the Mumbai Indians lost a flurry of wickets and were reduced to 121/4, Hardik Pandya and Tim David’s repair job, as well as Romario Shepherd’s explosive hitting, eventually took them to a winning total.