NEW DELHI – In a heart-wrenching moment captured on camera, Hardik Pandya, the captain of Mumbai Indians (MI), struggled to contain his emotions following a narrow 12-run defeat to the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the IPL 2025. The match, held at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, saw Pandya deliver a career-best performance with the ball, yet it wasn’t enough to secure a victory for his team.
After the match concluded and the customary handshakes were exchanged, Pandya was seen isolating himself in a corner of the ground, visibly distraught. The cameras captured this poignant moment as the all-rounder appeared to be shouldering the blame for not being able to steer MI to victory in a game they had controlled for significant periods.
Pandya’s exceptional bowling figures of 5/36 marked his first five-wicket haul in T20 cricket, giving MI hope as they restricted LSG to 203/8 after being asked to bowl first. Despite a valiant effort from Suryakumar Yadav, who scored a fluent 67, and contributions from Naman Dhir (32) and Tilak Varma (25), MI could only manage 191/5 in their 20 overs.
The final over saw MI needing 22 runs to win. Pandya started with a six off the first ball from Avesh Khan, but two crucial dot balls and a single on the fifth delivery dashed their hopes. The inability to find boundaries in the last two overs, particularly after Shardul Thakur’s tight penultimate over, proved costly.
Earlier in the match, LSG posted a formidable total, thanks to blistering half-centuries from Mitchell Marsh (60 off 31) and Aiden Markram (53 off 38). Pandya’s bowling heroics, which included dismissing both top scorers, led a strong MI comeback, but it was not enough to overcome the target.
The emotional toll of the defeat was evident on Pandya’s face, reflecting the heartbreak of a missed opportunity. His reaction has since gone viral, drawing both support and concern from fans and cricket experts alike as he continues to bear the weight of expectations as MI’s skipper.