'He will play for Team India': Hardik Pandya predicts uncapped star to be a match-winner for India

Mumbai Indians have had a dismal showcase in the IPL 2024 so far, as the team has plummeted to the bottom of the points table. Mumbai, who are the five-time title holders in the tournament, have fallen to the extreme bottom this year. But there have been some players who have attempted to put up a fight in an attempt to elevate their team in the league. Franchise skipper Hardik Pandya gave his flowers to an upstart Indian player who was clinical for MI, even though they ended up in a losing effort to Lucknow.   

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Hardik Pandya applauds MI batter, says an India call-up could be in place for him in the future

The Mumbai Indians' top order did not last long, as the LSG bowler left them in shambles. Lucknow were dominant at home and held on to their stance as they defeated Mumbai. But a few of the visitors' players, including Ishan Kishan and Nehal Wadhera, aided MI to get some momentum. According to Hardik, Wadhera's recent performances have set him up for bigger and better things in the not too distant future, which could include a Team India call-up.

"He has been fantastic, the way he batted against Rajasthan and tonight. He did fantastic last year as well. It was because of the team combination that he could not play early. Looking at his talent, he will play for a lot of years for Mumbai and for India eventually." Hardik Pandya said.

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The visiting Mumbai Indians came off to a shambolic start after their top order heavily faltered in the game. Players like birthday boy Rohit Sharma, Tilak Harma, Suryakumar Yadav, and skipper Hardik Pandya failed to contribute with the bat. But the contributions from Nehal Wadhera (46), Ishan Kishan (32) and Tim David (35*) allowed Mumbai to reach 144/7, which is a low score considering the high-octane T20 tournament where the targets often reach 200+ runs.

However, LSG proved to be formidable, led by Marcus Stoinis, who struck a fifty to match the outstanding performance of the bowlers as the Lucknow Super Giants bolstered their hopes of qualifying for the play-offs with a nail-biting four-wicket victory over the Mumbai Indians.