Sunil Gavaskar and Virender Sehwag have collectively slammed Gujarat Titans (GT) captain Hardik Pandya for interfering with Mohit Sharma’s rhythm in the important last over against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL 2023 final.
With 13 required in the last over in Chennai's chase of 171 in 15 overs in the rain-affected game at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Hardik reserved Mohit for the last over. He was the pick of the bowlers for Gujarat having picked two back-to-back wickets in his previous over which helped GT pull things back.
Mohit bowled four straight yorkers to Shivam Dube and Ravindra Jadeja, giving away only three runs. But then Hardik Pandya had some words with him with GT dugout sending Jayant Yadav with some water and some words.
This probably broke Mohit’s rhythm and he erred in the last two balls, getting hit for a six and a four by Ravindra Jadeja, as CSK won the IPL 2023 and became the five-time champions.
Speaking to India Today, Gavaskar fumed at Hardik for distracting Mohit in the last two balls. Hardik came in to have a discussion with him on both deliveries. Gavaskar feels that it wasn't required when Mohit was performing to his plan.
“He bowled that first 3-4 deliveries brilliantly. Then for some strange reason, some water was sent to him, in the middle of an over. Then Hardik came and spoke to him. When the bowler is in that rhythm and he is mentally also there, nobody should have to say anything to him. Nothing at all. From a distance just say well bowled. Going to him, talking to him, that wasn't the right thing to do. Suddenly Mohit was looking here and there,” he said.
On the other hand, Virender Sehwag said that Hardik's act “disturbed” Mohit, causing him to err in his line and length in the last two balls.
“When someone is bowling well and is delivering with yorkers, why will you go and have a word with him? He knows that the batter needs 10 from 2 and that he needs to stick with yorkers. Then why will you waste his time? Had Mohit been hit for runs, then he could have gone and had a word, but when the bowler is doing his job you want to get done with the over quickly. It also could be that the captain might have come with a concern about whether the bowler would want any changes in the field for the last two balls. But still, if I would have been there, I wouldn't have disturbed him,” he said on Cricbuzz.
