Defending champion Mumbai Indians (MI) came up with a bold statement as it defeated Punjab Kings (PBKS) by six wickets in Match 42 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. The win allows MI to rise to the fifth spot and stay in the contention for playoffs.
The match saw all-rounder Hardik Pandya bounce back to form, as his unbeaten 40 helped MI register its first win in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) leg of the tournament. While he had been out of form for most of the season, he has revealed the reason behind bouncing back and has credit his PBKS counterpart, seamer Mohammed Shami for it.
FULL SCORECARD: IPL 2021 - MI vs PBKS
"To be honest, I will give credit to Mohammed Shami as well because the ball I got hit, I told Pollard that this woke up, and this changed things for me. Before that, I was finding it difficult," he was quoted as saying in a video on IPL's website.
Pandya's bounce back to form comes at a crucial time, as MI desperately needs wins to qualify for the playoffs. Also, with the ICC World T20 upcoming, Pandya needs some good form heading into the tournament and justify his selection, as he is reportedly closely monitored by the selectors. At the same time, failure to perform could lead to him being dropped before October 10.