LSG vs MI, IPL 2025 Highlights: Hardik Pandya delivers 5-star performance in losing cause

Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya became the first-ever IPL captain to pick a five-wicket haul. Not just that, Pandya registered his best figures in T20 cricket of 5/35, bettering his 4/16 against New Zealand in Ahmedabad in 2023.

Leading from the front with the ball, Pandya used the pitch and the ground dimensions really well. Pandya’s victims included the dangerous Nicholas Pooran and LSG captain Rishabh Pant.

Yet another failure for Rishabh Pant:

Rishabh Pant’s wait for a good score continued as he registered another failure on Friday. The most expensive played in IPL history now has scores of 0, 15, 2, 2 in this edition of the marquee league so far. Pant fell to his MI counterpart Pandya who had him caught at mid-off with a slower ball that spooned up in the air off a leading edge.

Mitchell Marsh back among the runs:

Mitchell Marsh slams 27-ball 50 (AFP Photo)

Mitchell Marsh was dismissed for a golden duck in the last match against Punjab Kings (PBKS). But on Friday the Aussie was back to his marauding best as he raced to his fifty off 27 balls. Marsh top scored for LSG with a 60-run knock that came off 31 balls with the help of 2 sixes and 9 fours.

The Surya-Naman stand:

Suryakumar Yadav in action (AP Photo)

Suryakumar Yadav and Naman Dhir came together at the crease with MI at 17/2. And together they pulled up the MI run chase with a brisk 69-run stand for the third wicket. Dhir smashed 3 sixes and 4 fours in his 24-ball 46 and SKY slammed 67 off 43 deliveries with the help of a six and 9 fours.

The pressure increased on Suryakumar Yadav as Tilak Varma failed to get going and that resulted in SKY’s dismissal and it became the turning point of the match.

The last two overs:

29 runs were needed off the last two overs when Shardul Thakur was brought back in the attack. And ‘Lord Shardul’ brought all his experience and skill into play as he conceded just a single each off the first 5 balls. After the five deliveries, Tilak Varma retired himself out and Mitchell Santner walked in as the replacement. Santner took 2 runs off the last delivery as Thakur completed an excellent over.

With MI needing 22 runs and their captain Pandya on strike, Avesh Khan was given the responsibility to defend the target. Pandya smashed the first delivery of the over for a six over covers to keep MI in the hunt. But Avesh calmed his nerves and followed it up with an excellent over, conceding only 3 runs off the last five deliveries as LSG won by 12 runs.