Did Mumbai Indians miss a trick by handing Deepak Chahar, not Hardik Pandya, the final over in a rain-affected thriller against Gujarat Titans?
When rain cleared with Gujarat Titans needing 15 runs from the final six balls, Mumbai Indians had a decision to make. Deepak Chahar had bowled just two overs, Hardik Pandya only one, and with the spinners Karn Sharma and Will Jacks largely unused, the choice came down to Chahar or Hardik. MI opted for Chahar — a decision made before players even returned for that final over following the last rain break that pushed the game into Wednesday.
A four, a six, and a no-ball followed. GT sealed the game on the last ball of a rollercoaster contest.
“Deepak had been our main bowler in Jasprit [Bumrah]’s absence earlier in the season,” head coach Mahela Jayawardene explained in the post-match press conference after MI’s six-match winning streak came to an end. “It’s easy to question the call after the result. If Hardik had gone for three sixes, we’d be having a different conversation.”
For Jayawardene, the issue wasn’t the choice of bowler but the execution. “A couple of missed deliveries, good shots, and a no-ball — it all added up. We lost the game when we had control, and that’s the disappointing part.”
However, pundits felt differently. On ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out, Katey Martin noted, “Typically, Hardik bowls the crucial overs. You want your captain to step up.” Despite Hardik’s earlier over going for 18 (including three wides and two no-balls), she felt the moment called for leadership under pressure.
Abhinav Mukund agreed, pointing out MI lost momentum in the middle overs. “They allowed the game to drift. Their structure — saving Bumrah for the end — was disrupted by GT’s aggressive batting.” Between Bumrah’s overs, MI leaked 37 runs from overs six to eight, and another 28 in overs 13 and 14, forcing Bumrah and Boult to finish their quotas early, by the 17th over.
That left Chahar, typically a powerplay specialist, and Hardik, coming off an expensive spell, as the only options for the final over in what became a 19-over chase due to DLS adjustment.
Ashwani Kumar, a concussion substitute for Corbin Bosch, bowled impressively — 2 for 28 — and played an unexpected role in keeping MI in the hunt. But ultimately, Jasprit Bumrah’s brilliance — 1 for 6 in the 15th, 1 for 7 in the 17th — couldn’t seal the game on its own.
His delivery to remove Shubman Gill — jagging back and skidding through — earned special praise. “It just showed how Bumrah can make even the best batters look ordinary,” Martin noted.
Mukund added, “Bumrah adapts length so well. He missed a yorker once, but immediately went back to bowling into the pitch — and that’s where he dominates.”
Gill, who had been anchoring GT’s innings in classic ODI style to stay ahead of the DLS par, was undone by Bumrah’s craft. Shahrukh Khan followed suit, trying to muscle Bumrah but falling victim to his accuracy.
Despite everything, MI were in it till that final over. Trent Boult’s key dismissal of Sherfane Rutherford in the 16th and Ashwani’s wicket of Rashid Khan kept them alive. But as the dust settles, questions linger.
Did MI lose because of a poor decision or poor execution? Would Hardik have defended 15 better? The answer remains elusive — and perhaps always will.
