Mumbai Indians’ dismal start to the new season continued as they succumbed to a 6-run defeat against Gujarat Titans in their opening match. The match marked a new era for MI, with Hardik Pandya taking over the captaincy from Rohit Sharma.
Despite not being the skipper anymore, Rohit Sharma remained a prominent figure throughout the match. He was seen engaging in strategic discussions with Hardik and other players. However, a video that surfaced on social media captured an intense conversation between Rohit and Hardik after the match.
In the video, Hardik approached Rohit from behind to embrace him. However, Rohit turned away and appeared frustrated as he engaged in a heated exchange with his successor. The incident sparked speculation about the dynamics between the two players.
Despite the defeat, Hardik Pandya remained optimistic, emphasizing that MI has 13 more games to turn things around. He acknowledged the team’s shortcomings in the final overs but expressed confidence in their ability to bounce back.
“Obviously we back ourselves to chase those 42 runs (in the last five overs) but it was one of those days where we see the score quite less in those last five overs, we lost a bit of momentum there,” Pandya said at the post-match presentation.
When asked about Tilak Varma’s refusal to run a single, Pandya defended his player, stating, “I think Tilak felt that was a better idea at that point of time. I completely back him. Not an issue, (we have) 13 games to go.”
The defeat exposed some of Mumbai Indians’ weaknesses, including their lack of firepower in the middle order and their inability to close out matches. However, with a long season ahead, there is still time for the team to address these issues and mount a challenge for the title.
