MI was defeated by CSK by 103 runs in Mumbai.
Hardik Pandya won the toss, and MI sent Chennai in to bat first, and Sanju Samson led the way with 101* in 54 balls, including 10 fours and 6 sixes. Ruturaj Gaikwad scored 22 and Dewald Brevis 21 as CSK amassed 207/6, thanks to Samson's second century of the IPL.
In response, the CSK bowlers destroyed the MI batting lineup, with just Suryakumar Yadav (35) and Tilak Varma (37) surviving the onslaught. Akeal Hosein grabbed 4/17, with Noor Ahmad taking 2 wickets, as MI was bowled out for 104 runs and CSK won by 103 runs.
Ex-India spinner R Ashwin found it difficult to digest Pandya's decision to invite CSK to bat first, despite winning the toss. He further added that Pandya failed to learn from mistakes made against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), despite both matches being held on the same pitch.
Ashwin brought up the MI vs. RCB match at Wankhede Stadium. Mumbai never seems at ease pursuing a target of 241 in comparable circumstances. But when they were bowled out for just 104 against CSK, the collapse was even more noticeable.
“I am slightly underwhelmed. Hardik Pandya won the toss and handed the advantage to a team that has only won matches in this tournament by batting first. Do you remember the first game the Mumbai Indians played? They lost similarly against RCB. In that game, RCB batted first and did what Chennai couldn't quite manage today because of the difference in batting depth," Ashwin noted on his YouTube channel.
"RCB have significant power hitting through to the end of the order, which allowed them to post a huge score. Chennai doesn't have quite that much power, and Mumbai actually bowled slightly better today; Allah Ghazanfar and Ashwani Kumar performed well, and, of course, we can't forget Bumrah. That is why they conceded 208, but Mumbai still couldn't chase it down," he added.
Ashwin called, inviting CSK to bat first, a tactical error from Hardik Pandya, and stated that opponents should almost always be made to bat second.
"The pitch for that game and this game was exactly the same. Even then, the Mumbai Indians failed to find any momentum; in the second innings, the surface became even stickier and slower. If you learn from the conditions, you realize that by winning the toss and bowling, you gave the advantage back to the CSK line-up. As I said, if you win the toss against SRH or CSK and there is no dew, you must make them bat second,” he stated.
Even though Pandya still had two overs left, Ashwin criticized the choice to give the 20th over to rookie Krish Bhagat. After that, Bhagat gave up 16 runs in the last over.
"Look, I don't have a personal relationship with Hardik, but I have always viewed him as a 'box office' player. It is easy to pick on him now. Regarding today, giving the ball to Krish Bhagat at the death—I know he went for 28 or 38 runs in his two overs—but a man who bowled to David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen in a T20 World Cup final should be bowling those overs himself. Krish Bhagat lacks that experience. I liked Krish; he bowled okay, but as a captain, you should shoulder that pressure. What is the worst that can happen? You go for runs? So be it,” Ashwin said.
Ashwin was asked if captaincy pressure was affecting Hardik Pandya’s individual performance; he said that the context of his appointment cannot be ignored, referencing the backlash following the replacement of Rohit Sharma.
"Let's look back. In 2020, the Mumbai Indians won the IPL and were the best team. Then they went two years without a title. Hardik Pandya then went to the Gujarat Titans, where he won one title and finished as runner-up in another. Clearly, this man knows how to win; it isn't new to him.
"But we must consider what happened after he returned to Mumbai via a trade. It isn't just about results; it is a lot for one individual to handle. To come in and replace Rohit Sharma, a legend of the game, and then get booed by your own fans in your own stadium... that is an immense emotional burden. I won't point fingers at the fans, but that is a great deal to deal with,” Ashwin said.
MI will next face SRH, also in Mumbai, on April 29.