Hardik Pandya Sees His Mistake as "Crime" After MI's Heartbreaking Last-Ball Loss to GT: "It Bites You..."

Hardik Pandya After Mumbai Indians endured a heart-breaking three-run defeat against Gujarat Titans in a nail-biting encounter halted by rain at the Wankhede Stadium during IPL 2025, they held nothing back. This crucial game had significant playoff consequences, but it was Mumbai’s bowling errors—featuring two no-balls from Hardik—that made all the difference. Deepak Chahar Also threw a no-ball during the crucial final over, aiding in easing Gujarat Titans' pursuit.

“It is a crime,” Pandya said bluntly when addressing the repeated overstepping from his side.

Catching wasn’t our downfall, but the no-balls certainly didn’t help. Especially considering my own errors and even right down to the final no-ball – in Twenty20 matches, as far as I’m concerned, that’s unacceptable. It usually comes back to bite you. However, I must say I’m very pleased with how hard the lads fought, putting in 120%, keeping us competitive throughout without ever surrendering.

Despite scoring only 155 for eight wickets, thanks to a resilient knock of 53 from Will Jacks and useful inputs from Suryakumar Yadav (35) and Corbin Bosch (27), MI made a strong comeback with their bowling. Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult were particularly impressive, dismissing Shubman Gill, Shahrukh Khan, and Sherfane Rutherford, which put GT under immense pressure.

However, due to a penalty for a slow over-rate, Mumbai Indians were restricted to using just four fielders outside the circle in the last over when Gujarat Titans required 15 runs. Deepak Chahar, who was entrusted with bowling at the end, succumbed to the tension — yielding a boundary, followed by a maximum, and ultimately delivering an ill-fated no-ball that gave Gujarat the upper hand.

Hardik, who breached the rules twice during his bowling stint, wasn't shy about discussing what led to their defeat. Besides the no-balls, Tilak Varma’s missed catch off Gill in the 12th over also had significant consequences.

Hardik on the loss

After reviewing the match, Pandya acknowledged that Mumbai Indians consistently struggled for runs. "Absolutely (it was a tough way to exit). Despite our challenging score, we put up a good fight. Mostly, we found ourselves struggling throughout the game, yet we managed to push together as a unit. The outcome hinged on small margins."

"It certainly wasn’t a 150-wicket total; it should have been around 175. We fell short in our batting by about 20 to possibly 30 runs had we played better. Well done to the bowlers though—they continued to fight hard, but unfortunately, we couldn’t seal the victory," he concluded.

Despite several interruptions due to heavy rainfall, the conditions were far from optimal. "Initially, the pitch wasn't damp during our first innings, but afterwards, the ball became increasingly soaked with each passing over. It’s hard to tell whether this benefited us or not; it certainly made things challenging. The persistent rain led to frequent halts and restarts, which isn’t ideal for gameplay. Nonetheless, the match continued, and ultimately, we managed to complete the game," Pandya stated conclusively.

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