'Are Hardik, David so bad they can't bat earlier?': 'Baffled' Sehwag wants 'severe actions' on MI stars after KKR loss

Mumbai Indians faced another defeat in IPL 2024 at home, as Kolkata Knight Riders registered a 24-run victory on Friday to further strengthen their playoff chances. MI are all but out of contention for the top four spots, as this was their eighth loss in 11 matches; in addition to winning all of their remaining matches, Mumbai Indians would also need favourable results from other sides to ensure playoff qualification. Mumbai Indians' captain Hardik Pandya plays a shot during the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 cricket match(AFP)

The Knight Riders were bowled out for 169 while batting first, yet made a strong comeback in the innings after struggling at 57/5 at one point. The MI batting order, however, failed to deliver yet again; barring Suryakumar Yadav (56), no other batter could breach even 30 in the run-chase. Moreover, some batting order decisions raised certain eyebrows, with captain Hardik Pandya and Tim David arriving at No.7 and 8 in the lineup, respectively.

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Hardik arrived in the 11th over with MI reeling at 70/5 but failed to make a mark as he was dismissed on 1. David showed some intent but also fell in the 19th over, scoring 24 off 20 deliveries. Former India opener Virender Sehwag was baffled by MI's tactics in the run-chase and urged for strong action regarding the decisions that led to the side's eighth campaign defeat.

“KKR saved Andre Russell; he played only two balls. Mumbai Indians saved Hardik Pandya and Tim David. What did you achieve by doing that? There were many deliveries left, and they all got out. You could've come earlier, or maybe you could've finished the game earlier, too. I don't know what happens to them when they chase... Hardik Pandya at seven and Tim David at 8. I just don't understand what they did. Are these players that bad that they will get out if they come earlier?” Sehwag told Cricbuzz.

“Hardik Pandya batted at 4 consistently when he was the GT captain. What has happened here? It baffles me that the experienced players are coming so low.”

Can't think about future when you haven't qualified

When the anchor suggested that MI may be thinking about the 2025 season already and hence promoted the likes of Naman Dhir and Nehal Wadhera over their experienced international players, Sehwag stated that the franchise cannot plan for the future if it is barely winning matches in the present.

“If you're thinking about 2025, you should consider who should bat at what place today. How can you think about the future right now? If you were qualified (for playoffs), you might have experimented. You are barely winning, and you are experimenting with the batting order,” Sehwag said.

“I'm baffled by this. Management needs to take severe action on players and ask them what's happening. Or, players should speak up about why their batting positions are changed. The captain, batting coach, bowling coach, and support staff are at fault here. Owners need to ask strict questions.”

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