Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami expressed his opinion over the decision of Hardik Pandya to bat at no. 7 in the MI vs GT IPL opener.
Lately, MI skipper Hardik Pandya has been facing a lot of backlash from the fans as well as the cricketing community regarding his demeanour with former skipper Rohit Sharma. However, his key decision to bat at No. 7 during MI’s run chase against GT, also created a lot of buzz with various experts weighing in on Pandya’s move. Subsequently, Indian pacer Mohammed Shami was also surprised by Hardik Pandya’s decision.
Shami felt Pandya’s batting so low down the order essentially turned him into a “tailender” and suggested the team might have won if Pandya had batted higher up. “There is a lot of talk about the left-right combination. I don’t understand such things. Last match, we also talked about how much Pat Cummins has matured. You need to stay a step ahead. You should think, ‘I am the captain; I should take this responsibility.’ As far as Hardik is concerned, you have batted at No. 3 and No. 4 at the Gujarat Titans. What is the problem with batting at No. 4 or 5 here in Michigan? Hardik at No. 7 basically becomes a tailender. When you come to bat at No. 7, you are coming in with a lot of pressure. I think if Hardik had come earlier, the match would not have gone till last.” Shami told Cricbuzz.
Further, Shami elaborated, “Dhoni is Dhoni. You cannot compare anyone. Everyone has a different mindset, whether it is Dhoni or Kohli. You should stay in the game, depending on your skill. You batted at No. 3 and 4 in the last two seasons. You are used to that position. You can at the most bat at No. 5, but not at No. 7.”
However, former Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary shared that Hardik Pandya’s batting position at No. 7 wasn’t his sole call. With big names like Mark Boucher and Sachin Tendulkar in the Mumbai dugout, they might have influenced the decision to promote youngsters like Tilak Verma and Dewald Brevis.
While Hardik remains the talk of the town, the Mumbai Indians will be looking forward to their next match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 27th.
Last Updated on March 26, 2024
