Toughest soldiers get the toughest test, says MUM skipper following a defeat against HYD

On Wednesday(27th March 2024) the IND T20 league 2024 witnessed one of the most carnaging matches in the IND T20 league history. This epoch-making battle took place between the hosts HYD who assaulted MUM with their hammering batting. After being asked to bat first, the Orange army led by Pat Cummins smashed record breaking 277 runs against 5-time league winner MUM in match 08 at Uppal Stadium.

Aussies gun batter Travis Head started things off in style for the Hosts and completed his fifty in just 18 balls however his brutal innings came to an end on the score of 62 off 24 balls. Soon after this, Abhishek Sharma wasted no more time and recorded 16 ball fifty for HYD which was noted as the fastest fifty for the franchise. The left-handed batter played a blistering knock of 63(23) balls with the help of 3 fours and 7 huge maximums. The slaughtering of the MUM bowling was not done yet and the Proteas batter Heinrich Klaasen made hay while the sun shone and smashed an unbeaten 80 off 34 balls that included 4 fours and 7 monstrous sixes in this breath-taking innings. This complete mayhem from Hyderabad guided them to post-277 runs on the board on the loss of 3 wickets.

While chasing this mountainous target MUM got a flying start from their both openers, Ishan Kishan who scored 34 off 13 balls and Rohit Sharma added 26 off 12 balls as the Blue Army lost their first wicket in the form of Ishan Kishan on the score of 56 in 3.2 overs. Soon after that MUM lost the experienced batter Rohit Sharma, however, Mumbai was still in the driver’s seat and scored 150 in 10.4 before losing their 3rd wicket in the form of Naman Dhir who scored 30 off 14 balls. The left-handed batter Tilak Varma tried to cross the line for MUM but his heroic inning ended on 64 off 34 balls. Just before the closing hours, skipper Hardik Pandya and Aussie hard hitter of the ball Tim David tried to capitalise on the situation but they both failed to cross the line for MUM and they lost this immense match by 31 runs.

Mumbai skipper Hardik Pandya during the post-match team meeting said, “Toughest soldiers get the toughest test, we are the toughest team in the competition. He also added that anyone who could have come, even close to where we reached, as a batting group or just overall Mumbai represents us".

Mum has lost both their opening matches in the league so far, the 30-year-old all-rounder was questioned by cricket experts for playing a slow innings while chasing this gigantic total of 278 runs. The right-handed batter just added 24 off 20 balls with a strike rate of 120.00 which brought him to the limelight as he played opposite to his calibre and strength.