‘Captain can’t bat at strike rate of 120’: Former India star on Hardik Pandya’s slow knock Cricket News

SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Mumbai Indians (MI) put on a run-fest and put up a total of 523 runs in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the Uppal Stadium in Hyderabad on Wednesday. SRH registered their highest ever score in IPL with 277/3, surpassing the best score of 263 set by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2013. In reply, MI gave them a tough battle with a score of 246/5 ​​in 20 overs, but SRH won by 31 runs in the evening.

Tilak Varma led MI in a massive chase off just 34 balls after openers Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan got the visitors started Just hit 64 balls.

Naman Dhir continued to fill the void left by Suryakumar Yadav’s injury and he also made a brilliant cameo with a 14-ball 30-ball performance.

Next, Tim David smashed an unbeaten 42 off just 22 balls to bring MI closer to the chase.

However, SRH captain Pat Cummins bowled brilliantly to control the runs and take his team across the line.

However, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan was not happy with MI captain Hardik Pandya, the only batsman with a strike rate below 150.

Hardik made 24 of 20 shots and his scoring was sluggish. Irrfan criticized Hardik and said the captain cannot bat like that when everyone else is showing real intentions in the big chase.

Posting on X, Irrfan said: “If the whole team is batting at a batting average of 200, the captain cannot bat at a batting average of 120.”

If the whole team is batting at a batting average of 200, the captain cannot bat at a batting average of 120.

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) March 27, 2024

Cummins was the best bowler with figures of 2-35 from four overs.

Earlier, the left-handed Hyde reached his fifty in 18 balls after being bowled out for five by David at Pandya. Abhishek reached his half-century in just 16 balls.

The team reached 100 runs in just seven overs and Hyderabad posted the highest total in the history of the tournament with 148-2 in the first 10 overs.

Left-hand batsman Abhishek fell after a 23-ball blitz, but there was no respite for the bowlers who were on the receiving end of the punishing knock.

Mumbai’s South African off-spinner Kwena Maphaka endured a bitter experience heading into the IPL, with the 17-year-old left-arm fast player scoring 66 runs in four overs.

(With AFP input)