Former Indian cricket team coach Anil Kumble suggests that all-rounder Hardik Pandya should bat higher in the order for the Mumbai Indians. Kumble made this suggestion ahead of Mumbai's match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 27.
Mumbai Indians are aiming to recover from their defeat to the Gujarat Titans in their first match of IPL 2024. Despite requiring only 169 runs, Mumbai failed to chase down the modest target at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium.
Kumble highlighted on Jio Cinema that Mumbai Indians failed to take control of the match during the middle overs with Hardik Pandya batting at number 7. In the end, despite chasing 43 runs in the last 5 overs, Mumbai were restricted to 162 runs by Gill’s side, losing the match by 6 runs.
Hardik Pandya entered the crease at number 7, which was surprising given that he had batted at number 4 for Gujarat Titans in the previous two seasons. He came in to bat when MI needed 25 runs off 12 balls, despite having had ample opportunities to enter earlier. Although he did hit a six and a four in the last over, he was dismissed on the next ball.
Anil Kumble said on Jio Cinema:
“Mumbai Indians were in a strong position in their first match, needing just 43 runs in the final 5 overs with 7 wickets remaining. However, they let the chase go too deep. Hardik Pandya should bat higher up the order, since in T20 cricket your target is really 19 overs when chasing, not 20. Mumbai will hopefully learn from the mistakes made in their opening game.”
At the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, the five-time champions will take on SunRisers Hyderabad.