SRH vs MI: "If Team Is Striking At 200, Captain Can't......" - Irfan Pathan Calls Out Hardik Pandya For Slow Approach

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Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has called out Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya for his slow approach in the run chase against Sunrisers Hyderabad in match 8 of IPL 2024.

Chasing a daunting 278 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Wednesday (March 27) night, Mumbai Indians started the run chase with some intent as openers Rohit Sharma (26 off 12) and Ishan Kishan (34 off 13) scored at the strike rate of over 200.

On batter's paradise, Naman Dhir (30 off 14) and Tilak Varma (64 off 34) also scored at the strike around 200. Even Tim David (42 off 22) who was seen struggling against the slower deliveries scored at a good pace, and so did Romario Shepherd who faced just 6 balls.

MI stayed well within the required rate, but ended 31 runs short of the target despite the late cameo from Shepherd of 15 not out from 16 balls. Mumbai Indians finished at 246/5 in their allotted 20 overs to lose their second successive game under Hardik.

While every batter in the innings scored in and around a strike rate of 200, skipper Pandya (24 off 20) finished his innings striking at just 120. The 30-year-old managed just a six and a four during his stay at the crease before he was sent back into the dugout by Jaydev Unadkat.

This slow approach in a mammoth run-chase has been criticized by his former Baroda skipper Irfan Pathan, who took to social media to point out Pandya's strike rate in the match.

Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Irfan said, "If the whole team is playing with the strike of 200, Captain can'tbat with the batting strike rate of 120."

Pandya had already faced flak for his captaincy in Mumbai Indians' opening-game loss to Gujarat Titans after he brought on Jasprit Bumrah very late in the game. The new skipper, who is already facing heat from Rohit Sharma fans, did the same blunder again.

Irfan's brother and former India all-rounder Yusuf Pathan also pointed out the flaws in Hardik's captaincy for using a spinner in the final over of a match especially on an unforgiving wicket for the bowlers against a dangerous-looking Heinrich Klaasen.

"Can't understand the strategy behind the skipper keeping a spinner to bowl last over," Yusuf posted on X after the SRH vs MI match, indicating tactical lapses in Pandya's captaincy approach.

Coming back to the match, SRH rode on quick-fire fifties from Klaasen (80* off 34), Abhishek Sharma (63 off 23) and Travis Head (62 off 24) to post the highest-ever total in IPL history - 277/8.

In response, MI were on course to pull off the unthinkable with a fast start that was carried forward until the 14th over when they were 182/3. But as soon as they lost Varma, MI's innings kind of slowed down with Hardik and David struggling at times.

Hardik Pandya and Mumbai Indians will now look to bounce back and get among the win column when they host Rajasthan Royals in their first home match of the season on Monday (April 1) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.