The cricketing maestro Sunil Gavaskar expressed vehement displeasure towards Hardik Pandya, the skipper of Mumbai Indians, in the wake of an intense display by MS Dhoni during the IPL 2024 clash against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday. Despite snagging two crucial wickets, Pandya faced a barrage from Dhoni, conceding a whopping 20 runs off the final four deliveries of the CSK innings. Gavaskar did not mince words, lambasting Pandya for his lackluster bowling performance and what he deemed as subpar captaincy, particularly scrutinizing the nature of the deliveries Pandya delivered.
Gavaskar’s critique didn’t hold back, labeling Pandya’s bowling as perhaps the poorest display he had witnessed in a considerable span. He likened Pandya’s deliveries to a predetermined script, as if he had tacitly agreed with Dhoni to bowl the exact deliveries Dhoni desired to smash for sixes. Gavaskar highlighted a sequence where Pandya served up a length ball, followed by a similar delivery, both of which Dhoni dispatched over the boundary ropes. The third ball, a full toss on the leg side, met the same fate, further exacerbating Gavaskar’s disappointment in Pandya’s tactics.
During his analysis in the mid-innings break, Gavaskar also referenced a viral moment preceding the match, where Pandya approached Dhoni for an embrace, which circulated widely on social media platforms.
Despite a commendable century by Rohit Sharma, Mumbai Indians fell short against Chennai Super Kings by 20 runs. Sharma’s stellar performance was overshadowed by the consistent loss of wickets on the Mumbai Indians’ side. Additionally, an impressive four-wicket haul by Matheesha Pathirana sealed the victory for CSK.
In the earlier stages of the match, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shivam Dube notched half-centuries, while Dhoni’s explosive cameo against Pandya’s bowling propelled CSK’s total to 206.
With this triumph, CSK maintained their grip on the third position in the league standings, while Mumbai Indians languished in the eighth spot, managing only four points from six matches.