Hardik Pandya Calls No-Balls a "Crime" After MI's Hard-Fought Loss to Gujarat Titans

After Mumbai Indians suffered a narrow three-wicket defeat to Gujarat Titans in a rain-affected match, Mumbai captain Hardik Pandya expressed his frustration with the team's performance. He labeled the no-balls bowled by him and his teammates as a "crime" and acknowledged that such mistakes in T20 cricket are costly. The defeat came in a tense playoff race and marked the end of Mumbai’s six-match winning streak.

The game at Wankhede was suspenseful. While Mumbai had a dominating position at five runs over the DLS par after 18 overs, incessant rain resulted in breaks and changes in the rhythm of the match. The game began afresh once the rain receded with a single over remaining. Gujarat Titans required 15 runs in six balls to win, and Mumbai were reduced to fielding with only four players outside the inner cordon because of penalty for slow over rate.

Deepak Chahar was tasked with bowling the winning final over but erred in the very first ball. After offering a four and a six, he bowled a no-ball that benefited Gujarat Titans in making the game their own. The no-ball was costly and resulted in Gujarat winning the game. Hardik Pandya also added to the suffering of the team, as he had bowled no-balls in the last over. He conceded that these errors were the principal reason for the defeat, and no-balls in T20 cricket are "a crime" and have adverse effects on the team.

Besides the no-balls, Mumbai also lost a game-changing catch when Tilak Varma missed catching a catch off Shubman Gill in the 12th over. This might have also been another game-saver, but the blunder did not go unrewarded by Hardik. Besides the blunder and missed opportunities, Hardik praised his players for giving their all out in the field and not losing heart in the challenging game.

With the bat, Mumbai Indians were not able to come up with a fighting score. The team's top order failed and they were able to manage just 155/8 in their allotted overs. Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, and Corbin Bosch did give the bat a try, but still, the score did not appear big enough. Hardik accepted that the batting of Mumbai was not up to the mark, and they must have been 20-30 runs short of a fighting total. But he was pleased with the bowlers, particularly Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult, who battled hard and attempted to reverse the fortunes of the game. Bumrah sent crucial players like Shubman Gill and Shahrukh Khan to the pavilion, and Boult also contributed by sending Sherfane Rutherford back.

In spite of the negative batting, Hardik was elated with the fight of his team and acknowledged that they had given their all, particularly in the field and with the ball. He appreciated the bowlers for showing guts in difficult conditions and stated the team had given 120 percent. For him, the defeat was due to close margins, and although it was difficult to accept, they had played their all.

The frequent rain interruptions also made the game harder to manage. Hardik admitted that the rain did not make things easy, particularly with the ball getting harder to hold as the game progressed. Despite the difficulties brought about by the rain and the recurrent interruptions, Mumbai had no other option but to tough it out and complete the game. The fluctuating weather and rain only compounded the pressure, but Hardik and his crew persevered in the hope of a better result.

Looking back at the loss, Hardik was honest about the errors that had lost the game for Mumbai but was positive about the team's performance. He knew the team had not done as much as they could have but stressed the fact that they fought to the last moment. His message to the team was unambiguous: despite the errors made, the passion and dedication they displayed on the field cannot be denied.