The tournament opener of the 11th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), was a heartbreaking one for the hosts as the Mumbai Indians (MI) lost the match against their biggest rivals Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by just 1 wicket. They were in complete control of the game till the 17th over of the second innings but, it was DJ Bravo, who turned the game on its head in the next two overs and took his team in the winning position.

However, from MI, it was the all-around performance from Hardik Pandya which won the hearts of the fans as he bowled in the second innings despite getting injured while batting.

Also read: Match 1 (MI vs CSK) – Reasons of loss

A yorker from Bravo hit Hardik on his ankle while batting. Unfortunately, the same ankle was twisted in the last bowl of the innings as he collided with the bowler while taking the second run only to be laid on the ground in the agony of the pain. However, despite the pain, he took the field again for his team delivering the fourth over of the innings in which he took a wicket as well, but was found limping on his follow through after that.

While Hardik Pandya bowling in pain won the hearts for picking the crucial wickets of Suresh Raina, Shane Watson, and Mark Wood. Also, he conceded only 24 runs in 4 overs to keep his team ahead of the game. While the match was lost, the fitness of the all-rounder is under the scanner but, his elder brother Krunal Pandya is taking the utmost care of his junior during the tough times.

Also read: Match 1 (MI vs CSK) – Hits and Flops

Hardik himself updated a picture in his Instagram story in which he was seen sitting with Krunal taking care of his injured ankle. He captioned the image with the caption which read, “Brother is always taking good care! A bond which god made.” The Pandya brothers are one of the crucial cogs of MI set up and the team would be hoping that the younger one gets fit for their next match in time.