It is once again the season of the Indian Premier League, and Hardik Pandya's second term as captain of the Mumbai Indians appears to be faltering significantly. The all-rounder made a controversial return to MI prior to the last season, immediately taking over the captaincy from Rohit Sharma. As MI struggles in 2024, it seems that their poor form has carried over into IPL 2025, with even the return of Jasprit Bumrah failing to turn their fortunes around on Monday.

In what can be likened to the El Clasico of the IPL, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) surged to an impressive total of 221 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in 20 overs, thanks to explosive performances from Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, and Jitesh Sharma.

Facing a target of 222 runs, the Mumbai Indians appeared on the verge of a straightforward defeat, collapsing to 99 for 4 in just 11.6 overs, following the dismissal of their star player Suryakumar Yadav (28). Openers Rohit Sharma (17) and Ryan Rickelton (17) also fell short after promising starts, while Will Jacks (22), batting at number three, was dismissed by Krunal Pandya. 

The real batting effort from MI commenced with the arrival of Tilak Varma, who formed a partnership with captain Hardik Pandya. After Suryakumar's wicket fell on the last ball of the 12th over, MI's aggressive response began in the 13th over. On the second delivery of that over, Tilak executed a slog sweep off Suyash Sharma for a six, followed by a four on the next ball. The over proved costly for the bowler, yielding a total of 17 runs, as Tilak also struck another four on the fifth delivery.

Hardik Pandya joins the party

Then in the 14th over, Hardik joined the party after being given strike in the second ball. He began with a smashing six over deep midwicket against Josh Hazlewood, and then followed it up with a four. He wasn’t stopping there and continued MI’s counter-attack on the Aussie pacer, and then clobbered him for a six over wide long-off. In the fifth delivery of the 14th over, Hardik got another four and MI got 39 runs from the 13th and 14th overs, with the MI skipper at 20 off five balls. Meanwhile, Tilak was at 31 off 16 balls.

Patidar sent Krunal in the 15th over, hoping that spin would break the partnership. But Hardik had other plans and took on Krunal in the second delivery, smacking him for a six and got to 26 off six balls. Then he made it back-to-back sixes and the over saw Krunal concede 19 runs in total.

Fast forward to the 17th over, Tilak got his half-century and also smacked a six, as MI reached 181/4, needing 41 runs off 18 balls.

Patidar sent experienced pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the 18th over, and it initially looked like MI’s onslaught would continue as Hardik got a double and then a four in the first two balls. Then he took a single in the third ball to give Tilak the strike.

All of a sudden, Bhuvneshwar came up with the party ball, sending a slow delivery, on a short length, wide outside off. Tilak mistimed his shot and it went to sweeper cover, where Salt ran in near the boundary ropes, catching it safely as the India batter departed for 56 off 29 balls. New batter Naman Dhir got a six in the next ball and then Bhuvneshwar responded with a dot.

In the 19th over, Hazlewood came out on top, removing Hardik in the first ball as the MI skipper left for 42 off 15 balls. Mitchell Santner got a six in the second last ball of the over and then took a single to take MI to 203/6.

Krunal Pandya has the last laugh: 'I feel for him…'

Ahead In the 20th over, MI required 19 runs from six deliveries, prompting Patidar to bring in Krunal. The spinner started strongly, quieting the MI bench, which had hoped for a different outcome. On the first ball, Krunal delivered a full, wide ball outside off, which Santner could only manage to direct towards David, who executed a reverse catch near the boundary.

Krunal Pandya continued his impressive performance with the next delivery, as Chahar misplayed his shot to deep midwicket. Salt leaped to his left to secure the catch close to the boundary, then tossed the ball to the approaching Tim David, whose momentum carried him beyond the boundary line.

Krunal then bowled a wide, followed by a single that allowed Naman Dhir to retain the strike. Dhir struck a four off the fourth delivery but fell prey to Krunal’s skill on the fifth, getting caught at fine leg. Krunal concluded the match with a dot ball, leading RCB to a remarkable victory at the Wankhede Stadium, marking their first win there in a decade.

Throughout the final over, the cameras frequently focused on Hardik, whose expression shifted from joy to utter disappointment. He appeared stunned by the match's conclusion, remaining seated in disbelief as MI's struggles persisted. The irony lay in the fact that it was his older brother who inadvertently cost him the match after bringing MI so close to victory.

In a post-match interview, Krunal expressed sympathy for Hardik, acknowledging his strong performance. He stated, “The bond between Hardik and me is profound; we both knew that only one Pandya was meant to win today. The affection we share is genuine. Hardik played exceptionally well, and I empathize with him, but our team's victory is what truly matters. When I came in to bowl, Santner was at the crease, and I knew the leg side was shorter. Given my experience from playing here over the last decade, it was time for that knowledge to come into play. As a bowler, it’s crucial to fully commit, as that commitment aids in execution.”

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