The misery continues for Mumbai Indians (MI) in IPL 2024. They slumped to their second consecutive defeat, falling short by 31 runs in a high-scoring encounter against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Thursday. While other batsmen displayed aggressive intent, captain Hardik Pandya‘s slow knock has come under fire from former cricketer Irfan Pathan.
MI Chase falters vs SRH
Chasing a mammoth target of 278, MI’s innings started brightly with openers Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan setting the tone with rapid knocks. However, the middle order faltered, and despite valiant efforts from Tilak Varma (64) and Tim David (42*), MI fell short.
Hardik Pandya strike rate disappoints
Hardik Pandya’s captaincy knock of 24 runs off 20 balls, with a strike rate of just 120, drew criticism. This was in stark contrast to the aggressive approach displayed by his teammates. Openers Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan struck at over 200, while Naman Dhir, Tilak Varma, Tim David, and Romario Shepherd all played with strike rates exceeding 180.
Irfan Pathan questions Hardik Pandya
Taking to social media platform X, Irfan Pathan expressed his disappointment with Pandya’s batting. He argued that if the entire team is batting aggressively with a strike rate around 200, the captain shouldn’t be playing at a much slower pace. This imbalance in approach could be hindering MI’s chase efforts.
He wrote, “If the whole team is playing with the strike of 200, Captain can’t bat with the batting strike rate of 120.”
Record-Breaking Match for Sunrisers Hyderabad
Earlier, SRH had set a new IPL record for the highest team total, amassing a mammoth 277/3 on the scoreboard. This feat eclipsed Royal Challengers Bangalore’s previous record of 263/5. Openers Travis Head (62) and Abhishek Sharma (63) laid the foundation with explosive knocks, while Heinrich Klaasen (80*) provided the finishing flourish. This match also witnessed a record-breaking 38 sixes hit between both teams.
Mumbai Indians Needs Answers
With two losses at the start of the season, MI finds themselves under pressure. Pathan’s criticism of Hardik Pandya batting approach highlights a potential area for improvement. The team management will need to find solutions to ensure a stronger showing in their upcoming matches.
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