In a display of resilience and determination, Andre Russell showcased his fighting spirit during the MI vs. KKR match at Wankhede Stadium. Despite sustaining an injury, Russell chose to bowl for his team and made a significant impact by claiming the crucial wicket of Hardik Pandya. The pivotal moment came in the second delivery of the 12th over, with Mumbai Indians struggling at five wickets down and still needing 89 runs to win.
With the team relying on Hardik Pandya to support Jasprit Bumrah, the MI skipper’s unfortunate trend of poor form continued as he departed for just one run.
Facing a shortish delivery angled towards the middle, Hardik attempted to work it towards the leg side. However, the ball came off the deck slower than expected, resulting in a big leading edge that was easily caught by Manish Pandey at mid-wicket.
WATCH – Jasprit Bumrah’s Fiery Yorkers Derail Mitchell Starc and KKR’s Innings
Earlier, winning the toss, Hardik Pandya opted to bowl first. The bowlers responded impressively, restricting KKR to a total of 169 runs, with Jasprit Bumrah and Thushara taking three wickets each. In response, Mumbai Indians struggled to establish momentum, losing wickets at regular intervals, particularly against the skilful bowling of Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine.
Russell is flexing his muscles with the ball this time 💪#TATAIPL #MIvKKR #IPLonJioCinema pic.twitter.com/J1LHSmtgJi
— JioCinema (@JioCinema) May 3, 2024
As of now, even Suryakumar Yadav (SKY) got out for MI, with Gerald Coetze joining Tim David after SKY’s dismissal. The pair will need to anchor the innings and steer MI towards victory.
During the toss, KKR skipper Shreyas emphasized the importance of executing the basics correctly, while MI skipper Hardik Pandya acknowledged the challenge ahead but expressed confidence in his team’s ability to deliver a strong performance.
WATCH – Andre Russell’s Miscommunication Leads To Run-Out Drama
Mumbai Indians (Playing XI): Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Nehal Wadhera, Hardik Pandya (c), Naman Dhir, Tim David, Gerald Coetzee, Piyush Chawla, Jasprit Bumrah, Nuwan Thushara
Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Philip Salt (wk), Sunil Narine, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Shreyas Iyer (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh , Mitchell Starc, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy
Time spent at the coin toss ceremony: 3 minutes
Time spent at the batting crease: 2 minutesHardik Pandya is a walking wicket these days 🇮🇳💔💔#IPL2024 #tapmad #HojaoADFree pic.twitter.com/2QzhpMsvJV
— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) May 3, 2024
Hardik Pandya spends more time on pitch during toss than batting pic.twitter.com/atkAZLY5Q8
— Sagar (@sagarcasm) May 3, 2024
My mom’s saying, “pehle Mumbai badhiya thi, jab se ye aaya hai na Hardik………” I understand what she meant.😭
— Bhawana (@bhawnakohli5) May 3, 2024
Hardik Pandya at least play for yourself bro.
— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer) May 3, 2024
Pic 1: #MI under Rohit Sharma.
Pic 2: #MI under Hardik Pandya. pic.twitter.com/nXcV3t5FaV— Krishna (@Atheist_Krishna) May 3, 2024
Yeh kab jitwayega Mumbai Indians ko koi match? #MIvKKR #Hardik #IPL2024 #Cricket pic.twitter.com/1DQHZXSaOC
— Wasay Habib (@wwasay) May 3, 2024
