Hardik Pandya blames Rohit Sharma for ruining Naman Dhir, makes fresh revelation on Tilak Varma’s 'retire out' call

Hardik Pandya-led Mumbai Indians (MI) played a home game in the Indian Premier League 2025 (IPL 2025) on Monday, April 7, against the Rajat Patidar-led Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

Mumbai Indians (MI) lost the 20th match of the IPL 2025 against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by 12 runs at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Also Read: IPL Points Table, Orange Cap, Purple Cap After MI vs RCB Match 20

Once Rohit was back, we knew that Naman would have to come down - Hardik Pandya

Opting to bowl first in the match, the Jasprit Bumrah-led MI bowling unit had a terrible outing and they allowed RCB to post 221/5 on the board. Trent Boult (2/57), Hardik Pandya (2/45), and Vignesh Puthur (1/10) were the bowlers who got wickets for MI, while Jasprit Bumrah was most economical with his figures of 0/29.

Chasing the target, Rohit Sharma (17) and Ryan Rickelton (17) were unable to play big knocks while Suryakumar Yadav (28) and Will Jacks (22) struggled. Then, Hardik Pandya (42) and Tilak Varma (56) batted well in the middle overs to shift the momentum towards MI, but they were unable to finish the game and were restricted to 209/9.

Speaking after the match, Hardik Pandya said that they were unable to execute their plans with the ball, but he didn't want to be harsh on his bowling unit. Hardik Pandya said:

"It was a run-fest. The wicket was really good. I was just talking about that to myself that again we fell short with two hits, I don't have much to say. (Was 221 par or above par?) The way the wicket was, the bowers didn't really have much place to hide. It came down to execution. You can stop the batters but I don't want to be harsh on the bowlers."

When asked about pushing Naman Dhir, who shined in the previous match, down to the No.7 spot, Hardik Pandya said that the return of Rohit Sharma forced them to make the decision. Notably, Naman Dhir scored 11 runs off 6 balls against RCB. He explained:

"It was a tough track, not many options we had. (No. 3 position) The original skeleton of our team, Naman was always batting down the order. It's just that in the last game, Ro wasn't available, so we had to push someone up and someone like him has the multi-dimensional game where he can come up as well and can play in the death as well. Once Ro was back, we knew that Naman would have to come down."

People made a lot of things about it - Hardik Pandya makes a fresh revelation on Tilak Varma retiring out in last match

Hardik Pandya further lauded Tilak Varma for his sensational innings and made a fresh revelation about the decision to retire him out in the previous match against LSG. He revealed that Tilak Varma had suffered a blow on his finger because of which he was unable to bat well, hence, the coach took the call to retire him out. He said:

"Tilak was fantastic. Last game, a lot of things happened. People made a lot of things about it but people don't know that he had a very nasty hit previous day.

"It was a tactical call but because of the finger which he had, the coach just felt that that was a better option that someone fresh can come and do it. Today, he was fantastic. In this sort of games, powerplays are very crucial. Couple of overs we were not able to get in the middle, that put us back in the chase. It comes down to execution in the death - we were not able to play those balls."

In the end, Hardik Pandya said that the return of Jasprit Bumrah was a big boost for them and was hopeful of his team bouncing back strong from the loss. He stated:

"Having him (Bumrah) makes any team in the world very special. He came in and did his job, very happy to have him. In life, never back down, always see the positive side of it. Go out there, try to play the best cricket of your life and back yourself. We are all backing them, just hope for the result to come our way."

How did MI perform in the previous IPL match against RCB?

Mumbai Indians put on a dominant performance against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Wankhede Stadium in their previous IPL clash and registered a seven-wicket win with 27 balls to spare. The heroes for Mumbai Indians in the match were Jasprit Bumrah, Ishan Kishan, and Suryakumar Yadav.

Bowling first, Jasprit Bumrah provided his team with a great start as he removed Virat Kohli in his first over and returned in the death to dismantle the middle and lower order. He finished with sensational figures of 5/21 and turned out to be a nightmare for the opposition.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru ended their innings with a score of 196/8 as Faf du Plessis, Rajat Patidar, and Dinesh Karthik smashed half-centuries.

While chasing the target, MI were absolutely explosive. Ishan Kishan smashed 69 off just 34 balls, racing to a half-century inside the powerplay. Rohit Sharma supported with a handy 38, but it was Suryakumar Yadav who lit up the Wankhede with a sensational 17-ball fifty.

Even with wickets falling, MI had all the momentum on their side, and Hardik Pandya sealed the win for MI with his unbeaten 21 off just 6 balls. Notably, MI completed the run-chase in 15.3 overs.