"Hardik Pandya had to fire a bit more" - Aakash Chopra on MI's IPL 2025 Qualifier 2 loss vs PBKS

Former India player Aakash Chopra has opined that Hardik Pandya's inability to contribute more with the bat in the IPL 2025 Qualifier 2 potentially left the Mumbai Indians (MI) with a slightly below-par total. He also reckoned that the MI skipper should have used himself more with the ball.

Hardik managed only 15 runs off 13 deliveries as the Mumbai Indians set the Punjab Kings (PBKS) a 204-run target in the penultimate game of IPL 2025. The seam-bowling all-rounder registered figures of 1/19 in two overs in the chase as Shreyas Iyer and company achieved the target with five wickets and an over to spare to book their berth in the final.

Reflecting on MI's IPL 2025 Qualifier 2 loss in a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener noted that Hardik didn't fire enough with the bat and didn't use his bowling resources, including himself, effectively.

"Hardik Pandya had to fire a bit more. In the end, he couldn't fire much with the bat and, in my opinion, he should have bowled more as well. Reece Topley shouldn't have been given that over. One of Mitchell Santner, Ashwani Kumar and Trent Boult, or he himself should have bowled that over," he said (7:15).

Chopra pointed out that Hardik bowled only two overs, even though he seemed penetrative, and left Naman Dhir (37 off 18) with a difficult task at the end of MI's innings.

"He bowled only two overs, two runs in the first over, and 17 runs went in the second over for sure, but he took Josh Inglis' wicket, and almost Nehal Wadhera's wicket. In batting also, I felt he needed to score more runs because 15 runs were removed because of him getting out. Naman Dhir was alone in the last over, and Raj Angad Bawa was with him. The last overs did not turn out the way they wanted them to be," he elaborated.

Hardik Pandya was dismissed off the last ball of the 18th over. The Mumbai Indians managed only 23 runs off the final two overs, with the 204-run target proving insufficient in the end.

---

"Mumbai might want to retain him, but they won't be able to do so" - Aakash Chopra lauds Jonny Bairstow's knock in IPL 2025 Qualifier 2

Jonny Bairstow played a blazing knock in IPL 2025 Qualifier 2. [P/C: Getty]

Reflecting on the start of MI's innings in the IPL 2025 Qualifier 2, Aakash Chopra praised Jonny Bairstow (38 off 24) for batting aggressively despite Rohit Sharma's (8 off 7) early dismissal. However, he noted that the franchise won't be able to retain the England wicketkeeper-batter ahead of the auction.

"Rohit Sharma got a life once again, but then Rohit Sharma gets out. Jonny Bairstow didn't stop after Rohit Sharma got out. He has played only two knocks and has played powerfully. Very good acquisition. Mumbai might want to retain him for the next year, but they won't be able to do so as he came after the suspension," Chopra said in the same video.

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Suryakumar Yadav (44 off 26) and Tilak Varma's (44 off 29) dismissals in successive overs also put MI behind the eight ball.

"However, I feel Jonny Bairstow has given the audition for next year now itself because he was batting incredibly well. Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav played very well until they were there. However, wickets fell together - Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma in two overs," Chopra observed.

Aakash Chopra lauded the PBKS seamers for making the most of the big side boundaries by bowling short. He also praised Yuzvendra Chahal (1/39 off four overs) for picking up the crucial wicket of Suryakumar Yadav.