Rohit Sharma, MI former captain and star player had departed after scoring just 8 runs in the match against GT on Saturday
MI' captain Hardik Pandya gestures during the IPL match between Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 29, 2025. (Photo by INDRANIL MUKHERJEE / AFP)
Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya has taken an indirect dig at Rohit Sharma for his failure to score runs in the match against Gujarat Titans at Ahmadabad on Saturday, that ended in the favor of hosts.
The loss is the second consecutive loss for the five-time IPL champion franchise. In their first outing against arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings (CSK) they lost after a poor batting show. However, the side came in with confidence into the second game, with Pandya returning to lead after a one-match suspension due to slow over rate.
Rohit Sharma, MI former captain and star player had departed after scoring just 8 runs in the match. He smashed two back-to-back boundaries of Siraj before getting clean bowled on the third delivery.
"They (GT openers) batted brilliantly. They were quite exceptional, they did not take many chances, they did the right stuff, and they were able to get runs without playing many risky shots. We have been catch-up since then. At the moment, we all need to take responsibility. It is still in the early stages. Batters have to come to the party, hopefully, they will do that soon," Pandya said.
"Tough to put it together, I think in batting and bowling we were 15-20 runs short in both places," added Pandya.
"We were not professional in the field, we made basic errors and that cost us 20-25 runs and in a T20 game that is quite a lot."
Earlier, Gujarat openers Sudharsan and Shubman Gill started cautiously before the two hammered 35 runs across overs five and six.
Returning Pandya cut short skipper Gill's knock on 38 when he had the attacking opener caught at deep square leg to end a 78-run opening stand.
Pandya missed his team's opening loss due a suspension from the previous edition when he was charged for a slow-over rate offence. He returned figures of 2-29 with his pace bowling.
The left-handed Sudharsan built another key stand with England's Jos Buttler, who kept up the charge with regular boundaries as he hit 39 off 24 balls.
Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman dismissed Buttler, caught behind as the Gujarat bowlers hit back.
Pandya dismissed the big-hitting Shahrukh Khan for nine and West Indies left-hander Sherfane Rutherford fell to seam bowler Deepak Chahar for 18.
Sudharsan held firm in a middle-order stutter and reached his fifty before New Zealand left-arm quick Trent Boult trapped the batsman lbw.
Disciplined bowling denied Gujarat a big finish in the final few overs but the total proved enough for the team's first win in two matches.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle with agency inputs )
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