Hardik Pandya was short of words while describing Jasprit Bumrah's bowling might but he found a way to express his thoughts on the Mumbai Indians' pace spearhead after defeating Gujarat Titans (GT) by 20 runs in the IPL 2025 Eliminator on May 30.
Hardik Pandya hailed the ace pacer as a priceless asset for MI. The MI captain emphasised that having Bumrah fit and performing at his best during the crucial final stages of the tournament was an absolute luxury for the team.
Bumrah once again distinguished himself with an exceptionally economical spell, conceding merely 27 runs from his four overs. Against a formidable Gujarat Titans batting lineup, Bumrah proved to be MI's ultimate trump card, delivering precisely when his captain needed him most.
"It's like Mumbai housing prices - he's that expensive. When you have that, it's a luxury. I was just watching the scoreboard and I thought if we can save a few runs for the end, I had the bowlers to defend it. It was important that Jassi came in and bowled that over to widen the margin," Hardik said at the post-match presentation.
Hardik captaining a bowler of Jasprit Bumrah's caliber was far from complicated. He jokingly remarked that it's simply a matter of calling upon Bumrah whenever the situation on the field starts to deteriorate.
"It's very simple. It's not difficult at all. Whenever you think the game is going away, just bring him," Hardik added.
Even with Mumbai Indians setting a daunting target of 228, the chase was far from decided at the halfway point. Sai Sudharsan, who also became the youngest batter to reach 700 runs in an IPL season, was in sensational form. Alongside Washington Sundar, the pair forged an impressive 84-run partnership off just 44 deliveries, propelling Gujarat to 148 for 2 in 13 overs and bringing them within striking distance of victory. As the match seemed to be slipping away, Hardik Pandya turned to his most reliable bowler. Bumrah responded with what many are calling the ball of the tournament—an unplayable, toe-crushing yorker that bowled Washington Sundar and effectively halted Gujarat's momentum. Soon after, Sudharsan departed for a valiant 80, and with the required run rate escalating, Gujarat's chase eventually fizzled out.Bumrah's 14th over was remarkably economical, costing only four runs, and he returned to deliver another gem in the 18th over, conceding just nine. The death-overs bowling trio of Bumrah, Trent Boult, Ashwani Kumar, and Richard Gleeson then clinically closed out the match, securing a comfortable win for Mumbai. Bumrah now boasts an impressive 18 wickets in 11 matches at an astonishing economy rate of just 6.36, a truly remarkable performance in a season largely dominated by batters. Hardik also commended Mumbai's opening pair, Rohit Sharma and Jonny Bairstow, for setting an aggressive tone with their batting. Rohit's fluent 81 off 50 balls earned him the Player of the Match award, while Bairstow, playing his first game of the season, illuminated the powerplay with a rapid 47 off 22 balls.
"The way Jonny batted for him to make his debut for us - it's a special franchise - and play the way he did, that was special. And Ro the way he batted. He took his time, and once he got into rhythm, it was beautiful to watch," Hardik concluded.
MI will now take on Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Qualifier 2 for a spot in IPL 2025 final