"I completely back him, not an issue" - Hardik Pandya's response to Tilak Varma denying single during GT vs MI match of IPL 2024

Mumbai Indians (MI) lost their IPL 2024 campaign opener against last year’s runners-up Gujarat Titans (GT) in a closely contested affair on Sunday, March 24, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

After GT posted 168/6 in the first innings, Hardik Pandya-led MI failed to chase down the score as the hosts clinched a six-run victory. While Umesh Yadav’s final over turned out to be a game-changer for Gujarat, Tilak Varma denying a single when MI were desperate for runs caught many by surprise.

On the third delivery of the 17th over during the chase, Varma denied a single while batting alongside Tim David off Rashid Khan’s delivery. Experts and pundits were perplexed and the commentators on air also questioned Varma’s move.

The game could have seen a different result had David, the hard-hitting all-rounder, been on strike, but that was not the case. During the post-match presentation, Sunil Gavaskar asked Pandya about Varma's decision not to take the run.

The MI skipper backed the 21-year-old and had a blunt response.

“I think Tilak felt that that was a better idea at that point of time, I completely back him, not an issue, 13 games to go,” Pandya said.

“I think we lost little bit of momentum” – Hardik Pandya after MI’s final-over loss to Gujarat Titans

The atmosphere in the stadium had been intense as Hardik Pandya, who led Gujarat to back-to-back finals appearances in 2022 and 2023, parted ways with the 2022 champions and joined his former franchise - the Mumbai Indians.

Shubman Gill and Co. received tremendous support from the home crowd as they opened their campaign with a victory over Pandya’s MI. Speaking of losing his first game as Mumbai’s captain, the Indian all-rounder said:

“We backed ourselves to chase those 42 runs but it was one of those days when we see the score quite less compared to what it could have been in five overs, I think we lost little bit of momentum there. It feels good to be back because this is one stadium where you can enjoy and feel the atmosphere quite lively and obviously the crowd was full and they got a good game as well.”

Mumbai Indians will take on the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their second fixture on Wednesday, March 27, while Gujarat Titans will next face defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Tuesday, March 26.