MI vs KKR: "Couldn’t form partnerships..." - Hardik Pandya blames Rohit Sharma-led batting unit for defeat

Hardik Pandya-led Mumbai Indians (MI) went head-to-head with the Shreyas Iyer-led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 51st match of the Indian Premier League 2024 (IPL 2024) on Friday, May 3, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

After winning the toss, MI elected to bowl first in the match. The Jasprit Bumrah-led bowling unit did a terrific job as they bundled out KKR for 169. Bumrah and Thushara picked up three wickets each while Hardik Pandya got two wickets and Piyush Chawla bagged one. For KKR, Venkatesh Iyer, who loves batting against MI, scored an excellent 70 runs.

Chasing the target, Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Naman Dhir took a long walk back to the dugout without scoring big runs. Suryakumar Yadav (56) was the only batter who looked confident while playing his shots and he kept MI in the game. However, after his dismissal, Tim David (24) also flopped again and MI were restricted to 145 to lose the match by 24 runs.

Speaking after the match, MI captain Hardik Pandya blamed the batting failure of his side for the loss in the match. Hardik Pandya said:

"I mean obviously in the batting inning, we couldn’t form partnerships and kept losing wickets, in T20s if you don’t form partnerships, it will cost you."

Hardik Pandya admitted that there are a lot of questions around Mumbai Indians that will take some time to answer. Hardik Pandya stated:

"Not much, there are a lot of questions but that will take some time to answer but for now, not much to say."

Hardik Pandya made sure that he lauded his bowlers for a fantastic display and he added that MI are going through a tough time but these times will make them a better unit. Hardik Pandya said:

"As you mentioned, the bowlers did a fantastic job, the wicket got a little better after the first innings, and the dew came on. We will go through the game and see what could we have done better. You keep fighting, that is what I tell to myself, never leave the battlefield, tough days come but good also come here, it’s challenging but challenges make you better."

What Happened In The Previous Meeting Between Mumbai Indians And Kolkata Knight Riders

The last time, these two teams took on each other was in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. They only locked horns with each other once in that season and Mumbai Indians comprehensively won by 5 wickets with 14 balls remaining.

After being invited to bat first in the match, the Knight Riders managed 185 for 6 as Venkatesh Iyer did the bulk of the work for the team with his amazing century. Iyer smashed 104 runs off 51 balls, with 6 fours and 9 sixes. The second-highest run-getter in the innings was Andre Russell who chipped in with 11-ball 21.

On the bowling side of things, Hrithik Shokeen bagged two wickets for MI while Cameron Green, Duan Jansen, Piyush Chawla, and Riley Meredith picked up one wicket each.

Chasing the target, Rohit Sharma scored just 20 but Ishan Kishan (58) and Suryakumar Yadav (43) stitched together a brilliant partnership and showcased a batting masterclass to take MI closer to the win. After the dismissal of the duo, the middle-order batters did a good job for the team as they completed the run-chase in 17.4 overs. For KKR, Suyash Sharma bagged two wickets while Shardul Thakur, Varun Chakravarthy, and Lockie Ferguson got one wicket each.