New Delhi: Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya expressed his satisfaction after leading his team to a fourth consecutive victory, this time against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by seven wickets. With this win, MI climbed to third place in the IPL standings, taking their points tally to 10 from five wins and four losses.
Pandya, reflecting on the team’s performance, said, “It’s great to have a few wins behind us. The boys are taking the momentum in the right direction, and with key players performing well, it feels like a wonderful win.” He credited the contributions from players like Rohit Sharma, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, and Suryakumar Yadav for the team’s solid showing. He emphasized that once all the players clicked, MI became a “complete combination,” and the victory felt well-rounded.
The Mumbai skipper also shared some insights on his captaincy style, stating, “Sometimes, captaincy is about instincts. I prefer watching the game and reacting rather than always relying on pre-made plans.” He also explained his decision to bowl spinner Vignesh Puthur, a young player who hadn’t been in the playing XI for a while, saying, “We wanted to take a chance and get a wicket, and while it was tough for him, we understand.” Pandya concluded by noting, “We can get better in all departments. We discussed being very clinical and smart. We’re happy with this win, but we’ll take it game by game.”
In the match, MI won the toss and opted to bowl first. SRH were quickly reduced to 35/5, thanks to MI’s bowlers putting in a stellar performance. However, Heinrich Klaasen (71 off 44 balls) and Abhinav Manohar (43 off 27 balls) fought back with a 99-run partnership to lift SRH to a total of 143/8 in 20 overs. Trent Boult was the standout bowler for MI, taking 4/26 in his four overs, while Deepak Chahar added 2/12. Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah also took a wicket each.
During the chase, MI’s top-order led the way. Rohit Sharma scored a crucial 70 runs from 46 balls, including eight fours and three sixes, with support from Suryakumar Yadav (40* from 19 balls), who remained unbeaten. Together, they guided MI to victory in just 15.4 overs. Will Jacks contributed with a brief 22 runs off 19 balls.
On the bowling front, SRH’s Eshan Malinga, Zeeshan Ansari, and Jaydev Unadkat each claimed a wicket.
With this victory, Mumbai Indians have firmly positioned themselves in the top half of the points table, while SRH remains at ninth with just two wins from eight matches. MI’s fourth consecutive win has them in strong contention for a playoff spot as the tournament progresses.
