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Mumbai Indians (MI) once again came heartbreakingly close to a win on the road, only to fall short. On Friday, the five-time champions faced their third consecutive away defeat of IPL 2025, this time going down by 12 runs to the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
Despite standout individual performances, MI couldn’t close out the chase, leaving fans and captain Hardik Pandya visibly frustrated.
Hardik Shines, But LSG Seal It in the Death Overs
LSG put up an imposing total of 203/8 on the board. MI responded with a solid effort, finishing at 191/5, falling short by just 12 runs.
Suryakumar Yadav starred with a classy 67 off 43 balls, while Pandya brought fireworks at the end with an unbeaten 28 from just 16 deliveries. But it wasn’t enough against LSG’s composed bowling at the death.
Hardik was exceptional with the ball too, claiming his maiden five-wicket haul in T20s. However, the all-round effort still couldn’t change MI’s fortunes.
With 22 needed off the final over, the equation looked tricky but not impossible. Pandya gave hope with a first-ball six off Avesh Khan. But Avesh kept his cool and conceded just three runs off the next five deliveries, sealing the win for LSG.
A dejected Pandya couldn’t hide his emotions, hurling his bat in frustration after the loss—a moment that quickly went viral online.
Hardik Pandya throws his bat in frustration after failing to take his team Mumbai Indians to a win against LSG. 💔
He took a Fifer with the ball and 28*(16) with the bat but couldn’t finish the game for his team.#HardikPandya #LSGvMI #MIvLSG #IPL2025 #TATAIPL2025 pic.twitter.com/EQtglMeLzn
— Saabir Zafar (@Saabir_Saabu01) April 4, 2025
💔 Heartbreaking scenes 💔
– Hardik Pandya almost cried after MI lost the match 🥺🥺🥺
Stay strong @hardikpandya7 always with virat fans 🙌 pic.twitter.com/NE1d1g5ILt
— Farhan (@farhankohlii) April 5, 2025
Pant’s Calm Leadership, Pandya’s Honest Reflection
LSG skipper Rishabh Pant was all praise for his team’s composure under pressure.
“When a player like Mitch Marsh gives us a start like that, it gives time to the middle-order,” said Pant.
He acknowledged MI’s resistance, adding, “Mentally it was tough for all of us, they were not losing too many wickets, kudos to them, but we held our nerve and finished it off.”
Meanwhile, Hardik reflected on both the match and his performance with maturity.
“Always enjoyed my bowling,” he said. “I don’t have many options but I read the wicket and use smarter options. I never go for wickets but try to make batters make mistakes.”
Though he narrowly missed a hat-trick, Pandya stood by his team’s collective effort. “Today was one of those days. As a batting unit, we fell short. We win as a team, we lose as a team. I take full ownership.”
MI now sit at the seventh position in the 10-team table with only two points from four matches—a position they’ll be eager to climb out of in the coming fixtures.
ALSO READ: The Real Reason Why Tilak Varma Retired Out In MI vs LSG Match: Hardik Pandya Shares The Truth
