PBKS vs MI: "A win is a win" - Hardik Pandya after MI almost make a mess of an easy victory

In the 33rd match of the Indian Premier League 2024, Hardik Pandya-led Mumbai Indians (MI) went head-to-head with the Sam Curran-led Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Thursday, April 18, at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, New Chandigarh.

After being invited to bat first in the match, the Mumbai Indians posted a good total of 192/7, riding on the back of Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma and Tilak Varma's batting masterclass. Suryakumar Yadav smashed 78 runs while Rohit and Varma chipped in with 36 and 34 runs.

Defending the target, Mumbai Indians reduced the Punjab Kings to 5-49. But Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma once again stepped away and almost took the game out of Mumbai Indians' hands. At a point in time, it looked like Punjab Kings would clinch the win, but Jasprit Bumrah showed his class once again and played a key role in bundling out the opposition for 183. Jasprit Bumrah won the Player of the Match award as well as the Mumbai Indians won by 9 runs.

At the post-match presentation ceremony, Hardik Pandya said that everyone's nerves got tested during the high-voltage match. He also showered rich praise on the youngster Ashutosh Sharma for playing a blinder for Punjab Kings. Hardik Pandya said:

"Very good game of cricket. Everyone's nerves got tested. We did speak about before the game that the character will be checked in this game. Naturally, you think you're ahead in the game. But we knew IPL has a tendency to produce these games. Unbelievable - coming in and playing like that (Ashutosh's knock). Almost every ball hitting the middle. Happy for him and chuffed for his future."

Hardik Pandya further slammed his bowlers for bowling soft overs, but was satisfied that they managed to clinch a victory.

"We did speak in the timeout that it doesn't matter how good we look. We'll keep scrapping in this game. We were quite soft in certain overs. Nevertheless, a win is a win."

Mumbai Indians' Current Position In IPL 2024 Standings And Their Last Previous Match Result 

Before their match against the Punjab Kings, Mumbai Indians were placed at the ninth spot in the Indian Premier League 2024 standings with 2 wins and 4 points under their belt in 6 matches. After the end of the PBKS vs MI clash, Hardik Pandya & Co. have moved to the seventh spot on the points table.

In their previous clash, the Mumbai Indians were up against the Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium on April 14 in the 29th match of the Indian Premier League 2024. They faced a 20-run thrashing at the hands of the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side as they weren't able to chase down the target.

Bowling first, MI bowling unit wasn't very good and they ended up conceding 206 runs. Hardik Pandya, who bowled an expensive final over, picked up two wickets while Shreyas Gopal and Gerald Coetzee bagged one wicket each.

Chasing the target, the former Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma showcased a batting masterclass and slammed his first IPL century in 12 years. He scored a terrific 105 runs off 63 balls, but the lack of support from the other end meant that the 5-time champions were restricted to 186/6 and lost the high-voltage El Clasico.