Hardik Pandya ignoring Jasprit Bumrah? Former Australian legend warns the Mumbai Indians' captain

Former Australia cricketer and Sunrisers Hyderabad head coach Tom Moody slammed Hardik Pandya for not allowing Jasprit Bumrah to bowl in the powerplay last night. That particular decision from the Mumbai Indians captain eventually cost them the entire game as SRH went on to post the highest total ever seen in the history of the Indian Premier League.

Jasprit Bumrah, who is a proven and clinical wicket-taker, was not allowed to bowl more than he should have in those first 6 overs. Instead, the likes of South Africa’s Kwena Maphaka and Gerald Coetzee were backed to bowl more that time when the Sunrisers had done most of the damage through their top order of Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen.

But in the initial phase, it was Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma who had put on a show with their blistering knocks as both batted at a strike rate of over 250. In that situation, a serial wicket-taker like Jasprit Bumrah was needed but Hardik Pandya chose to bowl himself and hand the bowl to Coetzee and Maphaka.

Tom Moody hails Jasprit Bumrah as the best bowler of the shortest format

While speaking to ESPNcricinfo Timeout after MI suffered their second consecutive defeat, Tom Moody was highly critical of Pandya’s decision. The IPL-winning head coach with Hyderabad claimed that Jasprit Bumrah is a go-to bowler in the shortest format and that any team in the world would want him to bowl him at least 2 overs in the powerplay.

Especially when the batting team gets off to a start like that on a batting-friendly surface. Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Makram, and Klaasen, all of them were smacking the ball all over the park. Moody not only slammed Pandya for that decision but also hailed Bumrah as the best bowler of the format without a shadow of a doubt.

“When you’ve got the best bowler in this format in the world if not all formats in the world, he’s certainly this format of the world he’s your go-to person. For him to bowl one over, you know, in the first 10 overs.” 

“I totally get if they want to use a couple of swing bowling options in the first or second over I understand that. But for me, Jasprit Bumrah has to bowl two overs in the power play, purely because of what he brings to the table.” – Tom Moody said via ESPNcricinfo. 

Moody says that keeping Jasprit Bumrah from bowling in the powerplay was not right

Tom Moody went on to highlight that Jasprit Bumrah is the world’s best wicket-taker in the T20 format and that starving him in the powerplay was a huge mistake. Moody also felt that Mumbai Indians were starved of a good chance to claim back-to-back wickets in that phase before Head and Abhishek took over.

“One of the priorities in powerplay cricket is wickets and he is your best wicket-taker and he always will be your best wicket-taker and for him to be starved of that opportunity and Mumbai to be starved of that opportunity to try to stem the flow of this onslaught. It doesn’t seem right.” – Moody concluded.