Hardik Pandya Takes Responsibility, Calls Final-Over Error a ‘Crime’ After MI’s Last-Ball Defeat to GT: ‘It Bites You…’

Hardik Pandya didn’t hold back in his post-match analysis after Mumbai Indians’ narrow defeat to Gujarat Titans. Reflecting on the loss, Pandya candidly acknowledged the shortcomings in both batting and execution.

Hardik Pandya Calls No-Balls a ‘Crime’ After MI’s Heartbreaking Loss to GT

Hardik Pandya didn’t mince words following Mumbai Indians’ three-wicket defeat to Gujarat Titans in a rain-affected IPL 2025 clash at Wankhede. With playoff stakes looming large, it was MI’s no-ball blunders — including two from Hardik himself and another from Deepak Chahar in the crucial final over — that tipped the match in Gujarat’s favor.

“It is a crime,” Hardik Pandya stated firmly, referring to the repeated overstepping. “Catches didn’t really cost us, but the no-balls… in my eyes in T20s, it is a crime and more often than not, it bites you.”

Despite MI managing just 155/8, led by Will Jacks’ 53, Suryakumar Yadav’s 35, and Corbin Bosch’s 27, their bowlers fought back hard. Bumrah and Boult rocked GT’s chase, but a slow over-rate penalty restricted MI to only four boundary riders in the final over. Tasked with defending 15 runs, Chahar faltered, conceding boundaries and a decisive no-ball.

Adding to the woes, Tilak Varma’s dropped catch of Gill in the 12th over also proved costly, compounding Mumbai’s errors in a must-win match.

Hardik on the loss

Following Mumbai Indians’ heartbreaking three-wicket loss to Gujarat Titans, skipper Hardik Pandya admitted his side was always behind the game due to a subpar batting performance.

“Yes, definitely a tough way to go down. We fought well with the total we had. Most of the time, we were out of the game, but we pushed as a group. It was a game of margins,” Pandya said.

He acknowledged the pitch demanded more than what MI posted. “It was definitely not a 150-wicket. It was a 175-wicket. We were short in batting by 20–25 or maybe 30 runs if we had batted well. Credit to the bowlers. They kept fighting, and we could not finish the job,” he added.

Addressing the weather interruptions, Pandya said the conditions were far from ideal. “The ground, in the first innings, was not wet, but post that, throughout, the ball kept getting wetter. Not sure if it helped us or not. Rain kept coming in, not ideal to have stoppages and start again. But the game goes on, and we definitely did.”

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