Incredibly, the Mumbai Indians had their unbeatable setting at their home ground, the Wankaheda Stadium, matched off by the Kolkata Night Riders, who kept their record in Mumbai for the preceding 12 years clean. The Sydney Sixers became the second-time winner, while the Perth Scorchers, the five-time champions in the world, had to watch the game end 24 runs shot short.
Hardik Pandya, the Mumbai Indians’ captain, expressed frustration and concerns about his team’s lack of strength, which forced him to carry the burden of pressure. Without settling, the team lost three of its batting orders during the powerplay, and this match assuredly swung towards the away team.
“In T20s, the partnerships are of paramount importance, and I see that the lack of good partnership was our major drawback and should be looked into,”
ran the lines when Pandya spoke with the media guys during the post-match presentation.
Despite the loss, Pandya spoke very few words, which meant that he was aware that the team’s chance of finishing in the top four no longer existed. Mumbai Indians were in ninth place on the table before the match, which means they now have to gain much more to be on course for a playoff position.
However, there were a couple of positives, notably the bowling unit’s outstanding achievement per Pandya’s remarks. Nuwan Thushara proved to be dominant by taking 3 wickets in the powerplay. Jasprit Bumrah was a bang-on point with 3 crucial dismissals of death bowling overs. Piyush Chawla and Hardik Pandya also took wickets besides their frugality.
According to him,
“The bowlers did commendably, particularly under such conditions because the pitch had been favored and dew worked in our favour.”
Indeed, Pandya stated that it was crucial to scrutinize the game and detect the areas for enhancing in the next gameplay. However, with just three matches away from the end of the season, Mumbai Indians are planning to end on a high note.
“No surrender, no retreat. The challenging days are coming, but they are also there to strengthen you. The challenge makes you better.”
These words were the captain’s last words, determined to win the Mumbai Indians team.
