Hardik Pandya REVEALS Pep Talk he Gave Shardul Thakur After MI Beat KKR in IPL 2026 Match at Wankhede: 'Want You to be Here...'

MI vs KKR, IPL 2026: It was a night to remember for the Mumbai Indians on Sunday at the Wankhede stadium. The MI side beat KKR by six wickets to get their 2026 campaign off to a winning start. Mumbai chased down a mammoth 220 with five balls to spare making it a comprehensive win. 

Following the win, MI captain Hardik Pandya lavished praise on Shardul Thakur for his brilliance with the ball. He revealed the golden advise he gave the allrounder. Pandya revealed that he asked Tahkur to stop hopping franchises and play for MI for the rest of his career. 

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‘Want you to be here for the rest of your career’

"I told him this season, I said, 'enough hopping of the franchises. I want you to be here for the rest of your career.' He's a character. He has a big heart. The way he comes out and kind of always tries to outsmart a batter, simply brilliant and really happy for him," Pandya said at the post-match presentation. 

Not only did Thakur stem the flow of runs by picking up Finn Allen, but also mixed his slower ones well to keep a lid on the KKR batters. Thakur returned with figures of 38 for three in four overs in a high-scoring game. His performance ensured he bagged the player of the match. 

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Thakur up For The Challenge

At the post-match presentation, Thakur confessed that he likes challenges. He also admitted that it was a special occasion for him as he was playing on his home ground in front of his people. MI will play their next game against Delhi Capitals on April 4.