Mumbai Indians suffered their third successive defeat in the IPL 2024 on Monday 1st April as Rajasthan Royals beat them by six wickets.
Mumbai Indians' season has not gone according to plan since appointing a new captain. They started with a six-run loss to Gujarat Titans, followed by a crushing 31-run defeat by Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Having lost their first two away matches, MI finally played their first home match on Monday when they hosted Rajasthan Royals. Playing at home did not provide any advantage as the high-flying Royals defeated the struggling Mumbai squad, marking their third consecutive defeat in the ongoing tournament.
Mumbai Indians had a disastrous start after being asked to bat first, collapsing to 20 for 4. However, a 56-run partnership between Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma steadied the innings. Once their captain was dismissed, Mumbai started losing wickets and ended up with a score of 125/9 on the scoreboard after 20 overs.
In the second innings, RR got off to a rough start, losing three wickets in the seventh over. However, the in-form Riyan Parag smashed an unbeaten 50 to help them chase down the total in just 16 overs. Once again, Pandya faced criticism from fans.
Hardik Pandya is facing mounting criticism from fans due to his poor performance. During the coin toss on Monday, fans relentlessly booed Pandya, prompting commentator Sanjay Manjrekar to intervene.
Throughout the game, the fans continued to target the Indian all-rounder. Much to the fans' displeasure, Pandya dropped a difficult chance off Jos Buttler in the fourth over of the Royals' innings.
— Sitaraman (@Sitaraman112971) April 1, 2024
After dropping a catch, Hardik Pandya was greeted with a chorus of boos from the fans. Although he looked visibly upset, he composed himself and did not let his emotions get the better of him.