IPL 2024: Hardik Pandya Hails Ashutosh Sharma After Punjab Kings Batter Gives Mumbai Indians Scare
Mullanpur: Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya hailed Punjab Kings batter Ashutosh Sharma for the latter’s pyrotechnics with the bat which nearly took the game away from the five-time champions in the ongoing IPL 2024 at the PCA Stadium in Mullanpur on Thursday. Chasing 193, Punjab Kings were reeling at 14/4 inside the powerplay and 77/6 in the 10th over, but Sharma’s whirlwind 61 off just 28 balls including seven sixes and two fours nearly gave them their third win in the competition.
Besides Ashutosh, Shashank Singh made 41 off 25 balls for PBKS but were eventually bowled for 183 in 19.1 overs. “Unbelievable, playing the way he did and hitting the ball off the middle. Great for his future,” Pandya said after the game.
The game was at Punjab Kings’ grasp until the 18th over when Sharma was at the crease. However, his dismissal on the first ball of the 18th over bowled by Gerald Coetzee, sealed the match in the favour of Mumbai Indians. With this win, Mumbai Indians rose to seventh with six points from seven games.
For Mumbai Indins, Jasprit Bumrah (3/21) and Gerald Coetzee (3/32) shared six wickets between them. Earlier, it was Suryakumar Yadav whose 78 off 53 balls took Mumbai Indians to 192/7. “Very good game. Everyone’s nerves got tested. We spoke that the characters will be checked in this game. But natural you think you are ahead but you know IPL has a tendency to show that oppositions can come back and how,” he added.
With three wickets, Bumrah once again toppled Rajasthan Royals’ Yuzvendra Chahal with 13 wickets to his name for the Purple Cap. “Want to make an impact early on. In this format, ball swings for two overs, and you want to make use of that. This format is a little difficult for the bowlers because the batsmanship is going over, plus the time restrictions and the Impact Player rule.
“What you can do is prepare your best and back yourself. Go out there and give your best. I try to relay messages from wherever I am on the field. You don’t want to give too many messages,” said the Mumbai Indians pacer.