Akash Ambani, the owner of Mumbai Indians, was taken aback when MI captain Hardik Pandya opted not to take a single from Mitchell Santner during the final over of their IPL 2025 match against Lucknow Super Giants. At that moment, MI required 14 runs from 4 balls, and a single would have reduced the target to 13 runs off 3 balls. Hardik struggled to hit sixes in the subsequent deliveries and, with the match already lost, reluctantly took a single on the second-to-last ball, expressing his frustration by throwing his bat upon realizing the game had slipped away from MI.

With 22 runs needed from six balls, Hardik began the over by hitting Avesh Khan's low full toss for a six over extra cover. He then flicked the next delivery through mid-wicket for two runs. Aware that MI needed boundaries, Hardik believed he was the best option to achieve this and chose to deny a single to Santner on the third ball of the over. Santner was nearly at the striker's end when Pandya sent him back. The cameras shifted to the hospitality area where Ambani was seated; while he did not react dramatically, his body language suggested he was surprised by the unfolding events.

Hardik's choice to decline the single was puzzling for several reasons. Just moments earlier, MI had made a significant decision to retire Tilak Varma in order to bring Santner into the game. It seemed illogical to not trust a batter who had been introduced after the retirement of a seasoned T20 player.

The situation became even more perplexing when Hardik Pandya failed to hit boundaries on the next two balls, resulting in MI losing the match by 12 runs. By that time, Akash Ambani had joined the MI dugout to uplift his players, shaking hands and offering congratulations to the disappointed MI team.

In their pursuit of 204 runs against the Lucknow Super Giants at Ekana Stadium on Friday, the Mumbai Indians were sustained by Suryakumar Yadav's performance. However, once he was dismissed in the 17th over, LSG tightened their grip on the game. Tilak Varma experienced an unusual off day with the bat, struggling to connect with the big shots.

With 29 runs required from the final 12 balls, Shardul Thakur restricted the scoring to just seven runs in the 19th over, while Avesh Khan maintained his composure after conceding a six on the first delivery of the last over.

Mumbai's impact substitute, Tilak Varma, contributed 25 runs off 23 balls before retiring in the second-to-last over.

Wrist spinner Digvesh Rathi excelled with figures of 1-21, notably dismissing Naman Dhir, who had been aggressive with a score of 46, earning him the title of player of the match.

Mitchell Marsh played a pivotal role in LSG's victory, delivering a powerful innings of 60 runs off just 31 balls, which set the stage for the hosts' commanding performance, including nine fours and two sixes.

Read Also: Mahela’s Masterstroke: The Real Reason Behind Tilak Varma’s Shocking Retirement

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