Hardik Pandya Blames Criminal Act That Ended MI's Winning Streak: 'Catches Didn't...'

News18

07-05-2025

Last Updated:
Mumbai Indians winning streak in the IPL 2025 has ended at six matches after suffering a three-wicket defeat to Gujarat Titans.
Mumbai Indians tasted defeat for the first time after six matches in the ongoing IPL 2025 when Gujarat Titans edged past them in a last-ball thriller at the Wankhede Stadium. It was a chaotic chase for GT with rain and wind in addition to a tricky pitch posing a stiff challenge. MI posted 155/8 before GT made a cautious start with weather making life difficult for the batters.
After a rain delay, the target was revised to 147 in 19 overs and the visitors scampered home on the last ball with three wickets to spare.
Both MI and GT were guilty of errors from which they were given ample chances to bounce back. Four catches were dropped during the night – three by GT fielders and one by MI.
Tilak Varma dropped the catch of GT's in-form captain Shubman Gill on 35 and he went on to add five more runs to his total. Given the conditions and the photo finish, the additional runs proved pivotal.
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However, MI captain Hardik Pandya feels the dropped catch didn't make much difference as the no-balls did which he termed as a 'crime.
Pandya himself was guilty of a wayward over in which he leaked 18 runs including two no-balls. And then Deepak Chahar, while defending 15 runs, ended up overstepping resulting in an extra run.
'The catches didn't really cost us. We were very clinical with that," Hardik said after the match. 'Maybe definitely with the no-balls, with my no-ball and even the last (over) no-ball. That, in my eyes, indeed it's a crime, and most often than not it kind of bites you. It definitely did to us, but at the same point of time, really happy with the boys giving their 120% and making sure that we are in the game and not giving up."
Pandya also felt that MI made 20-25 runs less with the bat and credited his bowlers for making a match out of it.
'It was definitely not a 150 wicket. I think it was a 175 (pitch). We were definitely short in batting by 20-25 runs or maybe 30 runs if you would have batted well. But I think credit to the bowlers, they kept fighting and they kept bowling at the right areas," he said.
'In the first innings, the ground was not wet. Post that, throughout the whole innings, the ball kept getting wetter. I don't know if it helped us or not helped us, but yeah, it was difficult. Rain kept coming in. It's always not really ideal to have a stoppage and start again and have a stoppage. But the game goes on," he added.
First Published:
May 07, 2025, 08:06 IST