Fans were delighted with MI captain Hardik Pandya‘s superb bowling performance against SRH on Monday, May 6. He ended with figures of 3/31 from four overs, including the crucial dismissal of Nitish Reddy, who was SRH’s top scorer in the previous match.
Pandya faced criticism for transferring from the Gujarat Titans to the Mumbai Indians before the IPL 2024 season, particularly for leaving the Titans, whom he led to two consecutive finals (winning the title in 2022), and taking over as the captain of MI from Rohit Sharma.
In the initial nine matches, Pandya bowled 19 overs, picking up four wickets with an economy rate of 11.9. Nonetheless, he has undergone a significant transformation in the last three matches, bowling 12 overs and claiming seven wickets at an economy rate of 8.4.
You can watch Hardik Pandya’s three wicket here:
https://www.iplt20.com/video/56828/captain-hardik-pandya-leads-from-front-with-331?tagNames=2024
Pandya’s recent bowling performances have garnered widespread praise within the cricket community. His selection as the vice-captain of the Indian team for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 has further fueled fans’ belief that he is hitting his peak form at the opportune moment with the ball.
Many supporters are now eager to see him replicate his success with the bat as well. Here are some fan reactions from X (formerly Twitter):
Hardik Pandya's bowling is peaking at the right time 🥹🥹
Now we just need his finishing skills back and we are good to go đź’Şđź’Ş#MIvsSRH #HardikPandya— Aryan Sharma (@AryanSh67671354) May 6, 2024
Hardik being picked as vice-captain for #T20WorldCup might have come at probably the right time for his self-confidence. At times when nothing is going your way and everyone is wait to have a shot at you, you just need that tiny bit of positive occurrence #HardikPandya #mivsrh
— Anshul Gupta (@oyegupta_) May 6, 2024
fucking OG – G.O.A.T All-rounder of India undoubtedly. #HardikPandya ❤️‍🔥 pic.twitter.com/TNhCkJswK5
— 𝗗✪𝗡 (@Don_Mahi_Sk) May 6, 2024
#HardikPandya BRING IT ON 🔥🔥🔥🔥
3 wickets🤌#MIvsSRH pic.twitter.com/ASXHEIEtmw— Dharshana (@Dharsh_2020) May 6, 2024
https://x.com/harish_ns149/status/1787505288142286975?s=46
https://x.com/cricketfan72/status/1787510455142883836?s=46
“Rohit Sharma guiding his players before the world Cup, even Hardik Pandya is coming back in form,” one fan tweeted.
“The way captain Hardik Pandya has improved his bowling just by backing himself is unbelievable. It is positive news to Mumbai Indians as well as the Indian cricket team,” another commented.
Fans also lauded Pandya’s leadership during the match:
“Extremely happy for Hardik Pandya, bowling well for the last few games, ahead of the World Cup. India needs him. Also, fantastic captaincy against this powerhouse batting lineup of SRH,” one fan noted.
“Good captaincy by hardik pandya. Rotate his bowlers very well,” a fan tweeted.
MI, led by Hardik Pandya, is geared up to chase a target of 174 against SRH
Despite Hardik Pandya and Piyush Chawla each taking three wickets, the SunRisers Hyderabad still managed to set a challenging target of 174. Travis Head contributed 48 runs, while Pat Cummins remained unbeaten on 35, leading the visitors’ batting charge.
It remains to be seen if SRH can secure a crucial win to strengthen their bid for a top-two finish and gain an edge in the playoffs. Meanwhile, MI, already out of contention for the playoffs, will aim to play for pride in the remainder of the match.
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