Former Indian fast bowler Irfan Pathan has voiced his disapproval of the decision made by newly appointed Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Hardik Pandya during their six-run loss to Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad on Sunday, March 24.
Pathan criticized Pandya for not coming up the batting order to face the challenge posed by ace spinner Rashid Khan. Despite being a key player, Pandya surprisingly entered the batting lineup at No. 7 during the penultimate over of MI’s run-chase.
Although Pandya managed to score a quick 11 runs off 4 balls, his late entry into the game made the task too difficult, ultimately resulting in his dismissal on the long-on boundary with nine runs needed off three deliveries.
In a post-match Instagram statement, Pathan expressed surprise at Hardik’s choice to send Tim David to bat before himself.
“When they were chasing, they sent Tim David higher up the order. He sent Tim David when Rashid Khan had an over left. I felt Hardik Pandya maybe didn’t want to face Rashid Khan after having not played cricket for a long time.”
“This could be the case. I won’t agree with the fact that there was an experienced Indian batter sitting in the dressing room and sent an overseas player under pressure against Rashid. They missed a trick there,” said Pathan.
Hardik’s transfer from GT to MI in an off-season trade, where he took over the captaincy from Rohit Sharma, sparked significant controversy. The loss extended MI’s streak of losing season openers to 12 straight years since 2013.
“In the powerplay, he bowled 2 overs himself, that was a big mistake” – Irfan Pathan views on Hardik Pandya
Irfan Pathan also questioned Hardik Pandya’s choice to bowl two overs during the powerplay and delay Jasprit Bumrah’s introduction until the fourth over.
Despite conceding 11 runs in the first over he bowled, Pandya returned to bowl the third over, where he conceded two consecutive boundaries off the first two deliveries, aiding GT in getting a strong start.
“Hardik Pandya made big mistakes in the match. In the powerplay, he bowled two overs himself, that was a big mistake. He brought Jasprit Bumrah into the attack a bit late,” said Pathan.
Although Jasprit Bumrah joined the bowling attack later, he left a significant impact, ending with remarkable figures of 3/14 in four overs. On the other hand, Hardik Pandya, despite bowling three overs, remained without a wicket and conceded 10 runs per over.
The influential all-rounder will aim to make an impact as the MI captain in their upcoming away game against the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Wednesday, March 27, seeking to secure his first win in the role.
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