SRH vs MI, IPL 2024: Hardik Pandya Shares Thought On Teenager Kwena Maphaka's Bowling After Field Day At Work

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Mumbai Indians' captain Hardik Pandya extended words of encouragement and appreciation towards 17-year-old debutant Kwena Maphaka following his challenging outing in the IPL 2024 in a high-scoring match at Hyderabad's Uppal Stadium.

Despite conceding 66 runs in his four overs against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Pandya commended Maphaka's resilience and determination. Acknowledging the pressure of Maphaka's IPL debut, Pandya praised the young pacer for maintaining his composure and backing his skills throughout the match.

Pandya described Maphaka's performance as "fantastic," emphasising the positive mindset displayed by the debutant. In his assessment, Pandya stressed the significance of providing Maphaka with more game time for his development. He expressed confidence that with additional opportunities, Maphaka would continue to progress and refine his skills.

"He (Kwena Maphaka) was fantastic, coming into his first game and getting overwhelmed, he was alright and backed his skillset, just needs some game time," said the 30-year-old all-rounder at the post-match press conference.

In his assessment of his team's performance, Hardik Pandya offered commendations to his bowlers despite the challenging circumstances they encountered on a high-scoring pitch. Pandya recognised the tough conditions faced by the bowlers, with the wicket favouring the batsmen and witnessing nearly 500 runs being scored.

Despite the hurdles, Pandya expressed satisfaction with his young bowling unit's efforts, acknowledging the learning curve they face. He emphasised the need for improvements in certain areas but remained optimistic about their potential for growth and development.

"They (the bowlers) were good, it was tough out there, almost 500 runs were scored and the wicket was helping the batters, we could have done a few things here and there, but having said that, we have a young bowling attack and we will learn. If the ball goes this many times into the crowd, you will need time to get the overs done. Everyone (the batters) looked good and it is just a matter of time before we put things right," said the skipper.