Hardik Pandya’s promising knock came to a sudden halt, leaving the Mumbai Indians skipper visibly stunned during their must-win clash against Punjab Kings in IPL 2025 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur. It was a high-pressure match with playoff positions on the line, and Pandya’s dismissal in the 17th over couldn’t have come at a worse time for MI.
Walking in after Will Jacks’ breezy cameo, Pandya survived an early scare in the 13th over when Vijaykumar Vyshak dropped a sitter off his own bowling. At that point, Hardik hadn’t even opened his account.
But the MI skipper made sure to capitalise on the reprieve, launching a mini-assault on the PBKS bowling unit. He played with intent, hammering 26 runs from just 15 balls, including two crisp fours and a couple of towering sixes, injecting momentum into MI’s innings.
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However, just as he looked set to launch a final assault in the death overs, Marco Jansen struck a crucial blow. In the 17th over, the lanky left-arm seamer bowled a length delivery that angled away from the right-hander. Pandya went hard at it, aiming for a cut over point, but only managed a thick outside edge. Wicketkeeper Josh Inglis made no mistake behind the stumps.
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Pandya’s reaction said it all—stunned, bat resting on his head, he stood frozen for a few seconds, clearly gutted with the timing of his dismissal. It was a big moment in the game as MI looked to push past the 170-run mark.
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Despite the setback, Mumbai still had Suryakumar Yadav and Naman Dhir at the crease, with expectations riding high to finish strongly. For Punjab, Jansen’s strike offered much-needed control at the back end, proving why he remains such a key figure in their bowling plans.
