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Hardik Pandya delivered a stellar performance with the ball for Mumbai Indians, etching his name in the history books of the Indian Premier League.
In a high-stakes clash against Lucknow Super Giants, Pandya rose to the occasion, leading from the front when Mumbai needed a breakthrough the most.
Pandya’s Magic With the Ball Changes the Game
The MI skipper cracked the Lucknow code by cleverly varying his pace and lengths, keeping the batters on edge.
His tactical brilliance paid off in full as he recorded his best-ever bowling figures in T20 cricket. Pandya returned with a fiery 5/36 in his four overs — his maiden five-wicket haul in the format.
This breathtaking spell also made him the joint second-highest wicket-taker as a captain in IPL history, tying with Anil Kumble at 30 wickets. Only Shane Warne stands above the duo, with a whopping 57 wickets as a skipper in the tournament.
Following them are Ravichandran Ashwin with 25 wickets and Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins with 21. Pandya’s record-setting feat echoed through the stadium as he became the first IPL captain ever to claim a five-for.
His haul included key dismissals of Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant, and David Miller.
He returned in the final over to complete his spell, dismissing tail-ender Akash Deep and wrapping up his landmark performance.
A Heroic Effort With the Ball, But MI Falls Short
Despite his heroics with the ball, Pandya couldn’t replicate the same success with the bat.
MI’s chase of a daunting 204-run target hit turbulence, and they found themselves needing 29 runs from the final 12 balls. They managed just seven off the penultimate over, leaving 22 needed from the last.
Pandya sparked hope by launching Avesh Khan over the ropes with sheer power, showing flashes of brilliance. But that proved to be the lone spark as MI ultimately fell short by 12 runs.
Though the result didn’t go their way, Pandya’s remarkable bowling performance has already cemented its place in the IPL record books.
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