Gujarat Titans led by Shubman Gill defeated Mumbai Indians led by Hardik Pandya in the fifth match of IPL 2024.
Mumbai fell short chasing 169 runs, ending at 162/9 due to Gujarat’s strong bowling, notably by Mohit Sharma, Spencer Johnson, and Umesh Yadav.
While Mumbai’s defeat is disappointing, their history suggests they can bounce back. They’ve never won their first IPL match in 11 seasons and the tradition continues in the 12th season as well. They have this habit of losing their first game and then going on to win the title.
Despite a modest target, Mumbai’s innings faltered early with Ishan Kishan’s dismissal for a duck by Azmatullah Omarzai. Rohit Sharma led the charge but was stopped short of his fifty by R Sai Kishore. Dewald Brevis also missed out on a half-century, falling to Mohit Sharma.
Mumbai’s lower-order struggled, with Hardik Pandya’s quick cameo ending with his dismissal in the final over by Umesh Yadav.
In the first innings, Jasprit Bumrah’s remarkable comeback saw him claim 3-14, restricting Gujarat to 168/6.
Sai Sudarshan’s outstanding batting earned him the Player of the match award.
Hardik Pandya is already under scrutiny for his controversial rise to captaincy, taking over from the seasoned Rohit Sharma in the Mumbai Indians squad. The team’s loss in their opening match of the IPL season will only add to the criticism directed at him.
Furthermore, Pandya’s decision not to step up to bat earlier in the game, waiting until there was just one over left and the situation dire, invites further criticism.
Hardik Pandya’s return to Mumbai Indians turned sour as they faced an embarrassing defeat, despite having control of the game till the last over.
You May Like This
You May Like This
