Following their seventh defeat in the ongoing Indian Premier League season against Lucknow Super Giants, Mumbai Indians (MI) faced further setbacks as their captain, Hardik Pandya, along with the entire playing XI, received fines for maintaining a slow over rate during the match.
This marked MI’s second offense of the season, resulting in Hardik Pandya being fined INR 24 lakh, while each member of the playing team was penalized INR 6 lakh. The IPL statement confirmed the fines, emphasizing the team’s breach of the Code of Conduct relating to minimum over-rate offenses.
The match against Lucknow Super Giants saw Mumbai Indians struggling yet again, managing only 144/7 after being asked to bat first. Hardik Pandya, who earlier in the day was appointed as India’s vice-captain for the upcoming T20 World Cup, endured a first-ball duck. Rohit Sharma, the Indian captain, also failed to make an impact, scoring just 4 runs off five deliveries.
MI’s season has been marred by off-field controversies and on-field challenges, compounded by Hardik Pandya’s struggle with form issues both with bat and ball. Despite 10 appearances, the all-rounder has only secured six wickets, with an economy rate soaring to 11. Additionally, he is yet to score a half-century, accumulating 197 runs in 10 innings at a strike rate of 150.38.
As playoff chances dwindle for MI, currently placed ninth in the table with six points, they face an uphill battle in their remaining matches against strong contenders for top-4 spots, including Kolkata Knight Riders, Sunrisrs Hyderabad, and Lucknow Super Giants.
