Smith, Pathan slam Pandya for not using Bumrah first up

After bowling one over in the Powerplay, Bumrah was introduced in the attack again only in the 13th over. By this point, the Sunrisers had amassed a formidable 173-3, putting them in a strong position to accelerate their scoring

Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya’s decision not to give Jasprit Bumrah (0-36) more than one over until the 13th over of the Sunrisers Hyderabad innings on Wednesday night came in for criticism from all corners as the hosts blazed to 277-3, the highest total in the history of IPL.

After bowling one over in the Powerplay, Bumrah was introduced in the attack again only in the 13th over. By this point, the Sunrisers had amassed a formidable 173-3, putting them in a strong position to accelerate their scoring.

Australian batsman Steve Smith said he was perplexed with MI’s bowling changes. “I was perplexed with some of their bowling changes in the first innings for Mumbai. Bumrah bowled in the fourth over, he went for five and then we didn’t see him again till the 13th over when they were on 173. All the damage had been done, you needed your best bowler to be coming back and take some wickets in that period and I think they missed a trick there, bringing him back only in the 13th over,” said Smith.

Also Read: Pandya will be booed louder in Mumbai, says Manoj Tiwary

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan also didn’t hold back in criticising Pandya’s captaincy. “The captaincy of Pandya has been ordinary to say the least. Keeping Bumrah away for too long when the carnage was on, was beyond my understanding,” Pathan wrote on X.

He went on to slam Hardik’s batting. “If the whole team is playing with the strike of 200, captain can’t bat with the batting strike rate of 120.”

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