Kevin Pietersen, the former England cricket player, expressed surprise at the reception Hardik Pandya received from the crowd in Ahmedabad during an IPL 2024 match between Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans. It was Pandya’s first match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad since moving from Gujarat Titans to Mumbai Indians.
Pietersen noted the unusual booing of an Indian cricketer on home soil. Despite Pandya’s presence, Mumbai Indians suffered a loss in their first match under his captaincy. Pietersen said: “I have never seen any Indian player getting booed like they are booing Hardik Pandya here in Ahmedabad. This is a rare happening.”
Gujarat Titans secure a narrow win over the Mumbai Indians
The match saw a thrilling encounter as Gujarat Titans secured a narrow six-run victory over Mumbai Indians. Mumbai’s chase of 169 runs got off to a rocky start with Ishan Kishan’s early dismissal for a duck. Rohit Sharma and Naman Dhir tried to stabilize the innings with a brief partnership, during which Rohit hit some boundaries off Umesh Yadav while Naman took on Azmatullah Omarzai.
However, Omarzai struck back by dismissing Naman, leaving Mumbai at 30/2. Rohit Sharma continued to score steadily, supported by Dewald Brevis, who contributed with crucial boundaries. The pair built a solid partnership, taking Mumbai to 88/2 by the halfway mark. Brevis then helped Mumbai cross the 100-run mark with a boundary off Rashid Khan.
But Gujarat Titans fought back, with Sai Kishore dismissing Rohit Sharma for 43. Mumbai Indians reached 126/3 by the end of the 15th over, with Brevis and Tilak Varma at the crease. However, Mohit Sharma’s dismissal of Tim David and Spencer Johnson’s crucial wicket of Tilak Varma tilted the match in favour of the Gujarat Titans.
Hardik Pandya and Gerald Coetzee attempted to rescue Mumbai Indians in the final overs, but Spencer Johnson’s dismissal of Coetzee on the last ball of the penultimate over dashed their hopes. With nine runs needed from the final over, Pandya managed to hit a six and a four but fell to Umesh Yadav’s bowling. Mumbai Indians ultimately fell short, finishing at 162/9 in 20 overs, resulting in a six-run loss.
Despite a valiant effort, Mumbai Indians couldn’t overcome Gujarat Titans’ strong bowling performance, which included notable contributions from Umesh Yadav and Spencer Johnson. The match highlighted the competitive nature of the IPL and the unpredictability of T20 cricket.
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