Following the mega encounter, Pandya hailed the impact of MS Dhoni from behind the stumps, saying, “It (target) was definitely gettable, but they bowled pretty well.Pathirana was the difference. They were smart with the plans and their approach. They got the hang of it, there’s a man behind the stumps (Dhoni) who tells them what’s working, that helps. It (pitch) was holding up a bit and getting difficult. It was about batting well and keeping the intent.”
Speaking to Cricbuzz on the post-match show, Adam Gilchrist, a former Australian cricketer, interpreted Pandya’s remarks as indicative of a feeling of isolation within the Mumbai Indians team.
He said, “The line about Dhoni is an interesting one. It tells me that he may be feeling like a lone wolf at the moment. Maybe Hardik Pandya is not feeling the support around him.”
“His observation of the opposition is that he is not crediting the captain Ruturaj Gaikwad there. He is saying he (Gaikwad) has got support from the back. And that tells me a bit about Hardik’s mindset at the moment. It also shows the uncertainty and hesitancy within the Mumbai Indians as a package,” added the former wicket-keeper batsman.
Support for Gilchrist’s interpretation came from Simon Doull, who noted a shift in the team’s dynamics. Doull highlighted a contrast between the assistance provided by Dhoni to Gaikwad and Rohit Sharma’s perceived discontent.
“The new guy (Pandya) is probably trying to stamp his mark. He is probably trying to do things differently because he knows what happened there in the past. If there is some part of the team not grasping what he wants from the team, it can be very difficult. You still have got the former captain, one may be a bit disgruntled, but the other is helping a young man out. That may be the slight bit of difference,” noted Doull.
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Earlier in the match, Matheesha Pathirana came up with a stellar performance, securing four crucial wickets for CSK. Despite Rohit Sharma’s magnificent unbeaten century, Mumbai Indians fell short by 20 runs in their chase of CSK’s imposing total of 206/4.
CSK’s top-order batters, Shivam Dube and skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, played pivotal roles in setting up the challenging target. Their aggressive batting paved the way for CSK’s victory, despite Rohit’s lone battle for MI.