Separated by four days and 519 kilometres, IPL 2026 delivered two sharp contrasts for Hardik Pandya. After a heavy seven-wicket loss to Punjab Kings at the Wankhede on April 16, the Mumbai Indians captain sounded drained and unsure of where to find answers. “I don’t have much to say right now… Is it individuals? Is it as a group? Is it as planning?” he said during the broadcast, barely making eye contact as Mumbai slumped to a fourth straight defeat and sank to the foot of the standings.
For Mumbai, slow starts have often been part of the script. On four earlier occasions in this league, they had stumbled early before turning the season around, pushing into the playoffs and even going on to lift the trophy. This time, however, the unease felt deeper. With only one win from their opening five matches, the tone around the squad shifted from concern to questions—MI looked less like their usual selves, and the gap between reputation and performance was becoming hard to ignore.
From doubt to dominance: MI’s turnaround in Ahmedabad
On April 20, back at the Motera venue—where Pandya had captained Gujarat to their first IPL title in 2023—he appeared like a different person. The celebrations were loud and immediate: fist pumps, roaring, and visible joy. The reason was simple. For the first time this season, Mumbai Indians looked like the side fans expected, hammering Gujarat Titans by 99 runs.
How Mumbai beat Gujarat Titans
- Following the Punjab Kings defeat, Pandya had pointed to accountability, saying the team needed to answer “hard questions” and that “ownership has to be taken.”
- With the pressure mounting, Mumbai leaned into their usual strength: backing talent and making changes. Rohit Sharma remained unavailable, and MI introduced multiple alterations to the XI.
- Danish Malewar and Krish Bhagat received their debuts. Mitchell Santner came in for Shardul Thakur, while Ashwani Kumar joined as the Impact Sub to support Jasprit Bumrah.
- Gujarat struck early after Shubman Gill won the toss. Kagiso Rabada backed the decision by delivering early breakthroughs, with Mumbai losing three wickets in the powerplay.
- To steady the chase, Naman Dhir was promoted to the No. 3 slot and responded with a half-century, keeping the innings alive before it eventually turned into Tilak Varma’s kind of afternoon.
- Tilak Varma had endured a difficult stretch—only 43 runs across his first five matches—and he had looked stuck earlier, managing just 19 off 22 balls against Gujarat. At the timeout, Pandya’s brief intervention sparked a transformation.
- Tilak then accelerated dramatically, smashing 82 runs off his next 23 balls to lift Mumbai to 199 for five, also handing him his maiden IPL century.
- Within minutes of the restart, Bumrah struck. He dismissed Sai Sudharsan with the first ball of the innings—his first wicket in 153 deliveries, stretching back to last season’s Eliminator.
- In the following over, Pandya removed Jos Buttler, leaving Gujarat struggling at 46 for three during the powerplay.
- Pandya used Bumrah with intensity in a way that stood out from earlier matches, handing him two early overs. Ashwani also struck in the fifth over to dismiss Gill.
- Middle-overs hopes faded quickly: Santner claimed Washington Sundar and Glenn Phillips in the same over, while Santner and AM Ghazanfar tightened the run rate, conceding only 32 runs across five overs and taking crucial wickets.
- Ashwani then set up another turn in the contest, and Ghazanfar finished the job by removing Mohammed Siraj and Rabada as Gujarat’s batting disintegrated.
- Gujarat were bowled out for 100 in 15.5 overs—one fewer over than the number of runs Tilak himself scored.
Mumbai have long been capable of changing the direction of a season, and this display looked like a statement of intent. “Is this that game?” the broadcaster asked during the aftermath. Pandya’s answer came instantly, with a bright smile: “Yes.”
