Mumbai Indians faced their fourth defeat in IPL 2024, leaving the Wankhede crowd disheartened once again. Despite entering the game with a two-match winning streak, the Hardik Pandya-led side fell short against defending champions Chennai Super Kings, failing to chase down 206 runs, despite a remarkable century from Rohit Sharma.
Disappointed Hardik Pandya gets jeered again
The disappointment was visible especially for Hardik Pandya, who faced louder boos from the crowd during the toss and after being dismissed by MS Dhoni in CSK’s final over. Mumbai’s loss pushed them down to the eighth position in the table.
Reflecting on the match, Pandya acknowledged the challenge posed by CSK’s bowling, particularly Matheesha Pathirana’s stellar performance. He also praised the impact of MS Dhoni from behind the stumps, highlighting his role in guiding CSK’s bowlers with smart plans and approaches.
“It (target) was definitely gettable, but they bowled pretty well. Pathirana was the difference. They were smart with the plans and their approach. They got the hang of it, there’s a man behind the stumps (Dhoni) who tells them what’s working, that helps. It (pitch) was holding up a bit and getting difficult. It was about batting well and keeping the intent.” said Hardik.
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No support from the Mumbai Indians team
In a post-match analysis , former Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist interpreted Pandya’s comments as revealing a sense of isolation within the Mumbai Indians team. Gilchrist noted Pandya’s emphasis on Dhoni’s role and his observation that CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad received support from behind, suggesting Pandya may feel a lack of support within his own team.
“The line about Dhoni is an interesting one. It tells me that he may be feeling like a lone wolf at the moment. Maybe Hardik Pandya is not feeling the support around him.” Gilchrist on Cricbuzz.
His observation of the opposition is that he is not crediting the captain Ruturaj Gaikwad there. He is saying he (Gaikwad) has got support from the back. And that tells me a bit about Hardik’s mindset at the moment. It also shows the uncertainty and hesitancy within the Mumbai Indians as a package,” added the former wicket-keeper batsman.
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