The TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) match no.41 saw the fourth-highest run chase in the league as the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) chased down the total of 244 runs with one over and two balls remaining against the Mumbai Indians (MI), handing them their sixth loss of the season. During the second innings, Shardul Thakur was used as an impact sub.
However, Shardul Thakur created an unwanted record during the game, as he became the first impact player neither to bowl nor bat in the match. The decision came as a surprise to every fan and former cricketer as well. In the post-match press conference, MI’s batting coach Kieron Pollard was asked about the matter.
Pollard did not even know the reason why Shardul Thakur, who was the impact player, did not bowl a single over in the match despite being on the ground. This raises some serious questions about the communication lapse between the management and Captain Hardik Pandya, who has been under huge pressure after four back-to-back losses at the Wankhede Stadium for the first time.
"About why we didn't have Shardul bowl a single over...I will go back and ask. Then again, if he had given away 20 runs in an over, it would have been a totally different conversation," he said.
Shardul Thakur has played seven games in the tournament so far, after being traded from the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) ahead of the mini-auction last year. He has failed to impress with the bowl and the bat, picking six wickets with an economy of over 13 and scoring 14 runs in the competition so far.
I don’t understand it at all- Murali Kartik
Cricketers turned commentators Murali Kartik and Virender Sehwag were also surprised by the move while discussing it on Cricbuzz. Sehwag believes that Shardul is a wicket-taking bowler and should have been handed at least an over, especially after being introduced as an Impact Player.
"I don’t understand it at all. Why did they even bring him in? Maybe they forgot about him. Only god can tell us why this was done," the former India spinner said.
"If you have brought him on as an impact sub, then he should have bowled at least one over. He is a wicket-taking bowler. He could have got a wicket somehow, so they should have definitely tried," Sehwag added. "Only Hardik Pandya can tell us why Shardul Thakur wasn’t bowled because, since he has come, he always takes a wicket no matter how much he gets hit."
Can MI qualify for the playoffs?
Coming to the match, MI won the toss and opted to bat first. Ryan Rickelton scored a brilliant 123* runs and helped the franchise to post a mammoth total of 243/5 in their 20 overs. But the carnage of Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Heinrich Klaasen, and Salil Arora stole the game away from the Blues, chasing down 244 in 18.4 overs.
The Mumbai Indians have struggled this season. Despite winning their first game against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), they have failed to find the right momentum in the competition so far. Under Hardik Pandya, they have just won two games, and after the loss last night, have made their qualification for the playoffs more difficult.
Also Read: No faith left! Ravichandran Ashwin gives up on Hardik Pandya and MI in IPL 2026
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