Hardik Pandya, the captain of Mumbai Indians (MI), has been slapped with a fine of INR 12 lakh for having a slow over rate during the intense match against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Thursday, April 18 in Mullanpur.
It’s a rough patch for Mumbai Indians in the 2024 IPL season. Hardik Pandya, their skipper, faced a 12 Lakh fine for a slow over-rate, marking Mumbai’s first offense this season. The pressure mounts as they struggle to find their footing on the field, with losses piling up and fans taking jabs at Hardik online. The recent fine adds insult to injury, joining the ranks of other captains like Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant who’ve faced similar penalties.
In their latest match against Punjab, Mumbai managed to defend their total of 192/7, despite Punjab’s late surge led by Ashutosh Sharma’s impressive 61 off 28 balls. Mumbai’s bowlers, especially Jasprit Bumrah, kept the pressure on Punjab, securing a crucial 9-run victory. But the win doesn’t erase Mumbai’s overall struggle, as they sit at 7th in the points table.
Ashutosh Sharma played a stunning knock, smashing 61 off just 28 balls, including seven sixes, to give Punjab hope. Despite his efforts, Punjab fell short, unable to chase down Mumbai’s formidable total.
While the 12 Lakh fine might not sting Hardik Pandya too hard, the Mumbai Indians dodged a bullet with their fielding mishap. Instead of having the regulation 5 fielders outside the inner circle, they had only 4 during the crucial final 2 overs of the match, when Punjab needed less than 25 runs. Luckily, the hosts were down to 9 wickets, and there wasn’t a seasoned batter at the crease. But had someone like Ashutosh Sharma, known for his six-hitting prowess, been in the mix, Mumbai could have found themselves in serious trouble.
As of now, Mumbai Indians are sitting at the 7th position on the points table. Their next match away from home will be against Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on April 22nd, in a rematch from earlier in the season.
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