Watch: A thrilling IPL encounter between Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians came to a pulsating end, with Umesh Yadav ending a threatened Hardik Pandya heist to close out the game.
Captaining Mumbai Indians for the first time after an off-season trade from Gujarat Titans, Pandya was in the thick of the action throughout. He was booed at the toss and regularly while in the field, and also chose to take the new ball over Jasprit Bumrah to some surprise. His maneuvring of previous captain Rohit Sharma also prompted some amusement.
Rohit was also key, making 43 off 29 to put Mumbai Indians in a strong position. However, his dismissal sparked a dramatic turnaround. Before he fell, his side needed 62 off 48 balls with eight wickets in hand. Gujarat Titans then pegged their opposition back, conceding only three more boundaries until the start of the final over.
At this point, Pandya, batting at No.7, had faced just one ball and his side needed 19 to win. He then hit six and four to make the equation a manageable nine off four. Yadav was under the pump, but held his nerve, bouncing out Pandya and Piyush Chawla and conceding two singles off the last two balls of the game to seal a six-run win.
The result continues Mumbai Indians’ poor record in their opening game of an IPL season. The last time they won such a game was back in 2012, before Rohit’s appointment as skipper. A change at the top did not bring about a change in fortune this time.
