R Sai Kishore Opens Up About Intense Staredown with Hardik Pandya: "It's All Part of the Game

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In Match 9 of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the Gujarat Titans, led by Shubman Gill, triumphed over the Mumbai Indians by 36 runs. A key moment in the match was the intense staredown between MI captain Hardik Pandya and GT spinner R Sai Kishore. However, after the match, Sai Kishore downplayed the incident, referring to Hardik as a "good friend."

The confrontation occurred on the fourth ball of the 15th over when Hardik hit the ball back towards the bowler. As Sai Kishore retrieved the ball, he gave Hardik a fierce look. In response, the Mumbai skipper made a gesture and muttered an expletive.

Sai Kishore stood his ground, maintaining his glare at Hardik, prompting the umpire to step in and separate the two players as tensions rose.

After the match, Ian Bishop interviewed Sai Kishore for the broadcast. When asked if there was any animosity with Hardik, he replied, "He’s a good friend of mine. On the field, it’s all about competition, but we don’t take it personally."

"We're both competitive, and that's how the game should be," he added. It's worth noting that after the match, Hardik and Sai Kishore shared a hug, showing there were no hard feelings.

Wishing for an amazing season ahead!

Gujarat Titans' bowlers were spot on as they successfully defended a total of 196 runs, limiting the Mumbai Indians to 160/6 in their full twenty overs. Both Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna picked up two wickets each.

Sai Kishore also stood out with the ball, claiming one wicket while giving away 37 runs in his four overs. He effectively contained Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma during the middle overs, which put significant pressure on the Mumbai Indians' batting lineup.

"I wasn’t getting much grip today, so I had to bowl more defensively and do my part for the team. The pitch performed better than it appeared. Suryakumar Yadav played well, sweeping my good length deliveries. When a batter plays a good shot, you have to give them credit," Sai Kishore explained.

"I went with my instincts and have to thank Shubman too; he kept giving me tips on how to bowl to Surya since he’s faced him in the Indian nets. As I look ahead to this season, I’ve been really honest with myself and put in a lot of hard work. I’ve watched plenty of games and focused on various aspects for this season, so I’m hoping it turns out to be a fantastic one," he added.

Earlier, the Gujarat Titans scored 196/8 in their 20 overs, thanks to a solid 63-run innings from Sai Sudharsan. Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler also contributed with scores of 38 and 39, respectively.

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