[Watch] Hardik Pandya fails to impress again, hands a catch to Naveen-ul-Haq off Mohsin Khan's bowling in MI vs LSG match
IPL 2024 has been the worst one of Hardik Pandya's career. The Mumbai Indians skipper ended the tournament on a disappointing note with a 13-ball 16 against the Lucknow Super Giants at the Wankhede Stadium on May 17.
In the final league match for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2024, Hardik had the opportunity to end his season on a high with a match-winning knock. In a run-chase of 215 against Lucknow Super Giants, Pandya walked out to bat at No. 5 after Rohit Sharma's departure in the 11th over.
When Hardik Pandya came out in the middle, the Mumbai Indians needed 118 runs to win from 55 deliveries. Fans present at the Wankhede Stadium would have expected an explosive knock from their skipper. However, while the star all-rounder did manage to hit a four and a six, he lost his wicket after scoring 16 runs.
On the 13th ball of his inning, Hardik tried to use the pace of Mohsin Khan's delivery and smack a short-of-length delivery over the third-man region. However, he ended up hitting the ball into the hands of Naveen-ul-Haq, who didn't have to move an inch to grab the catch. You can watch the video of his dismissal here:
When Hardik smashed a four and a six off Ravi Bishnoi's bowling in the 13th over, it looked like a special inning from the MI skipper was on the cards. However, it did not happen.
Hardik Pandya failed to score a single half-century in IPL 2024
Prior to the match against the Lucknow Super Giants, Hardik played 12 innings in the tournament. He scored a total of 200 runs in those 12 innings, with his average being 18.18 and strike rate being in the range of 140.
Notably, Hardik's highest score in the tournament was 46. After his dismissal against LSG for 16, Hardik ended an IPL season without a half-century for the first time since 2021. In 2022 and 2023, Hardik recorded six fifties for Gujarat Titans.