Blame Game In MI Camp After Third Straight Loss In IPL 2024; Hardik Pandya Asks Players To Show ‘Discipline, Courage’

Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma. (Source: AP)

Hardik Pandya, Mumbai Indians (MI) captain, has started his stint with three straight losses in IPL 2024 after defeat to Sanju Samson’s Rajasthan Royals (RR). Unlike at Gujarat Titans (GT) where Hardik started off as captain with three consecutive wins, he has not had the same start with Mumbai. Nothing went MI’s way on Monday night in Mumbai. This was the first game for MI and the results did not go there way yet again this season. Speaking at the presentation ceremony after the loss, Hardik blamed the pitch and himself for the defeat.

Also Read | Rohit Sharma Tells Wankhede Fans To Not Boo Hardik Pandya, Video Goes Viral; Watch

MI were asked to bat first after RR won the toss and chose to bowl. They lost the openers quite early and were on back foot right from the start. Hardik and Tilak Varma provided some sort of stability after MI were four down for just 20. Both, however, fell in 30s.

Hardik blamed himself for ‘not doing more’. He also questioned the surface that was offered to them for the game. “….I wanted to counter, we were in a decent position to get us around 150-160, but my wicket allowed them to get back more into the game, I needed to do a lot more. It’s okay, we didn’t expect such a surface, but you can’t always have it as a batter, it’s nice at times for the bowlers to have a say.”

MI captain also sent a message to him through the microphone, asking for more discipline and courage. “He said that MI players can do a lot better than what they have done so far.

Even opposition captain Sanju Samson said that the wicket was very sticky and the toss became a game-changer. However, he still did not expect four MI wickets to fall so quickly in the game. Samson hailed Trent Boul’t superb effort to effect the early dismissals including the wicket of Rohit. Boult finished with a spell of 3 for 22 from 4 overs and was also adjudged as the Player of the Match.

This was not the first time Boult got rid of Rohit with his swing bowling. He said that dismissing him always makes him fel great as Rohit is a huge threat. “I’ve played against him a lot, and it is just about doing something different against him. Doesn’t always work this way, but happy when it does,” said Boult.