Akash Ambani can't believe Hardik Pandya denied single to Mitchell Santner in last over, enters MI dugout after loss

Mumbai Indians owner Akash Ambani was in disbelief when MI captain Hardik Pandya turned down a single to Mitchell Santner in the last over of their IPL 2025 match against Lucknow Super Giants. MI needed 14 runs off 4 balls then. A single would have brought it down to 13 off 3. Hardik failed to hit sixes in the next two balls and reluctantly took a single off the penultimate ball when the match was already over. He even threw his bat in frustration after realising the match had slipped out of MI's grasp.

Needing 22 runs off six balls, Hardik started the over by hitting Avesh Khan's low full toss for a six over extra cover. The next ball was flicked through mid-wicket for a couple. MI needed boundaries, and Hardik felt he was the best man to do it, so he took it upon himself and denied a single to Santner off the third ball of the over. Santner was almost near the striker's end when Pandya sent him back. The cameras panned to the hospitality where Ambani was sitting. He did not give an over-the-top reaction, but his mannerisms indicated that the turn of events surprised him.

Hardik's decision to turn down a single was surprising in many ways. Barely a few minutes ago, MI had taken another major call to retire out Tilak Varma to bring Santner in the middle. Not trusting a batter who has been sent in by retiring out a tried and tested T20 cricketer, made very little sense.

It looked even more bizarre when Hardik failed to reach the next two balls for boundaries, and MI lost the match by 12 runs. By then, Akash Ambani had entered the MI dugout to cheer up his cricketers. The MI owner shook hands and congratulated the dejected MI players.

Chasing 204 against Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Stadium on Friday, MI were kept in the game by Suryakumar Yadav but he once was dismissed in the 17th over, LSG applied brakes. Tilak Varma had one of those rare off days with the bat. The left-hander simply could not get the big shots.

Mumbai needed 29 off the last 12 balls when Shardul Thakur gave away just seven runs in the 19th over and fellow quick Avesh Khan kept his calm after being hit for a six on the first ball of the last over.

Mumbai's impact substitute Tilak Varma made 25 off 23 balls before he retired out in the penultimate over.

Wrist spinner Digvesh Rathi stood out with figures of 1-21 after he cut short Naman Dhir's attacking knock on 46 and was named player of the match.

Mitchell Marsh set up victory for LSG with an attacking 31-ball 60 run knock that set the tone for the hosts' domination as he smashed nine fours and two sixes.