One of the main talking points of IPL 2024 has been Hardik Pandya’s rather modest season. The Mumbai Indians skipper is currently averaging 21.57 with the bat and has taken a mere four wickets with the ball. More importantly, for someone whose job is to press the accelerator pedal in the slog overs, his strike-rate of 142.45 is below par. In MI’s last game, too, Hardik could only score 10 off 10 deliveries.
With the T20 World Cup on the horizon, there would be even more pressure on Hardik to return to form. So, what could have gone wrong for Hardik? Perhaps injuries have taken its toll on his bowling and power-hitting? For starters, he doesn’t seem to power through the crease like he used to and is bowling largely floaty stuff.
There have been question marks over Hardik’s captaincy too, especially in the backdrop of Jasprit Bumrah, the strike bowler, not being given the chance to bowl the first over. With MI also languishing at the eighth place, Hardik has a massive task to lift the side’s spirits in their next game against Delhi Capitals, away from home.
Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant, Hardik’s counterpart, is in better form. After a rather forgettable outing against Sunrisers Hyderabad, he showcased his pyrotechnics by aggregating a 43-ball 88 versus Gujarat Titans. Mohit Sharma was the bowler who was at the receiving end of Pant’s wide range of shots. So, what can MI do to prevent Pant from essaying another innings of substance? Probably bowl a sizeable portion of deliveries outside the off-stump, with a deep cover in place. And for the seamers to mix it up with shorter length deliveries and away from his hitting zone.
Tristan Stubbs (strike-rate of 192.30) and Fraser-McGurk (strike-rate of 211.68) have been the other two cornerstones of their batting line-up. The home side would also be buoyed by Axar Patel accumulating a fifty in their previous game. The all-rounder had notched up only 57 runs before that innings.
DC also would be extremely pleased with Kuldeep Yadav’s performance. The wrist-spinner is at the peak of his prowess. One of the key strengths of Kuldeep is he is always on the lookout for wickets. Even when Kuldeep is going for plenty of runs, you expect him to impart enough revs on the ball. When one considers the kind of tall scores we have seen in IPL 2024, Kuldeep’s bowling average of 15.04 and his economy rate of 7.54 stand out.
On paper, both sides have the required arsenal to post monstrous scores in what could turn out to be batting-friendly conditions. Just that DC have a little more momentum on their side, having won three out of their last four games. In that context, DC might start this game as marginal favourites.
Did he threaten? Did he bully? Did he intimidate? Or did he try to help and celebrate the cricketer?
Were untruths paraded against him and did social media trolls use the issue to unleash an avalanche of vitriol? @BoriaMajumdar answers with evidence.@SimonSchusterIN… pic.twitter.com/GP9wJVcjJx
— RevSportz (@RevSportz) April 27, 2024