Watch: Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya involved in animated chat after Mumbai Indians loss against Gujarat Titans
Hardik Pandya’s numerous decisions in the game didn’t sit right with the cricket experts and the franchise fans as he was brutally trolled over social media for his questionable decisions.
Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya and former skipper Rohit Sharma were recently spotted getting candid in an inanimate chat after the team’s loss against Gujarat Titans in the fifth match of IPL 2024. The teams met for their first match of the season at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on 25th March and the hosts defeated Mumbai Indians by six runs.
The game marked Hardik Pandya’s debut as the captain of Mumbai Indians as he replaced the five time title winner champion Rohit Sharma. Pandya’s numerous decisions in the game didn’t sit right with the cricket experts and the franchise fans as he was brutally trolled over social media for his questionable decisions.
After the game, Hardik Pandya rushed to hug Rohit Sharma from the back only to hear an earful from the opening batsman in the chat. In the video, Sharma probably seemed upset with Pandya as the former was spotted explaining to him about the game in gestures.
Watch the video here
Hardik also changed the field numerous times, making Rohit Sharma switch positions throughout the first innings of the game, which didn’t sit right with the former captain.
Hardik Pandya’s Questionable Captaincy Hurts Mumbai Indians
The 169 runs chase seemed a difficult task for the batting lineup as they gradually lost their wickets in the middle overs. Rohit Sharma played a remarkable knock at the top while scoring 43 runs off 29 deliveries at a strike rate of 148.28.
Dewald Brevis took Mumbai Indians to a good position as he scored 46 runs only to lose his wicket to Mohit Sharma in the 17th over. Hardik walked in to bat in the 19th over and smashed quick 11 runs off 4 deliveries. However, the all-rounder succumbed to Umesh Yadav in the final over as Mumbai Indians lost their only hope.
Also Read: Fans react as Hardik Pandya sends a shocked Rohit Sharma to field in the deep
With 9 runs remaining to chase in the last 3 balls, Mumbai Indians lost the game to Gujarat Titans as Pandya was once again questioned for his shot selection. The batting all-rounder was traded from Gujarat to Mumbai ahead of the IPL 2024 auction for an undisclosed amount. After the failure in the first game, it will be interesting to see how the MI team will make a comeback under the new captain.