Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan was unhappy with Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya after the crushing defeat against Chennai Super Kings. He criticized the captain for his irresponsible actions after the team suffered a crushing defeat by a huge margin of 103 runs.
Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings is one of the biggest rivalries in the history of the competition. However, MI once again struggled with their form on their home ground and lost another home game. On the other hand, CSK is once again back on the winning track.
Chennai Super Kings has moved ahead in the points table in the IPL and has now reached the fifth position in the points table. Mumbai Indians, on the other hand, are now placed eighth, above LSG and KKR.
Irfan Pathan blames Hardik Pandya for wrong captaincy during CSK’s batting innings
Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan looked extremely unhappy with Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya, who termed his captaincy as unwise and irresponsible. Chasing the big target of 208 runs, MI collapsed on the score of just 104 runs.
The former cricketer questioned his decision to bowl to young Krish Bhagat instead of bringing himself back into the attack. The youngster gave 31 runs in 2 overs, while Hardik Pandya himself bowled only two overs in the game.
Former all-rounder Irfan Pathan said, “You (Hardik Pandya) make Krish Bhagat, who is playing his second match, bowl his first over against Sanju Samson, set in the 15th or 16th over. It was a wrong decision. You gave him the last over, which again was not the right decision. You need to take responsibility as a captain and perform better.”
The team batting first has won four of the last six T20 matches – Irfan Pathan
Irfan Pathan also said that for the teams playing the shortest format of the game at Wankhede, the winning streak of the teams batting first has continued. However, Hardik won the toss and bluntly decided to chase the score.
After this, Hardik Pandya did not bowl his full quota of overs, despite this the best Sanju Samson is still standing at the crease.
He said, “In the last six T20 matches at Wankhede, the team batting first has won four, but here you wanted to win the toss and chase the target. Winning the toss and saying that we will bat first is a difficult task, but you have to show that courage.”
He immediately hit a big shot – Irfan Pathan pointed out the flaws in Hardik Pandya’s batting.
“He hit a big shot immediately. Yes, MI were under pressure at that time, but you are also looking for form. Hardik has not scored a half-century since 2023. He will need to move his feet when there is some help for the bowlers on the pitch.”
“His stance was different before too. Now it’s wider, which gives him good balance and he plays very well on pitches that have pace. When there’s a bit of catch or help, he’s got to work on that.”
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