When the word finisher is mentioned, the word MS Dhoni always comes to mind. However, following the international retirement of the former India captain and the fact that he doesn’t have too many IPL seasons left either, India is still looking for its next finalist.
However, Tom Moody praised the Mumbai Indians’ all-rounder Hardik Pandya, believing that finalists like him are rare. Moody’s comments come after Pandya made a 27-for-14 cameo against Delhi Capitals in Qualifier 1 of the 2020 IPL. His hit didn’t include a single four, but he did in fact clear the limit five times. Eventually his hit coupled with Ishan Kishan’s half century propelled MI to 200/5, a total that didn’t seem likely at the end of the 15 plus mark.
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“Finalists like him are rare, and when he’s in that kind of shape, you’d pick him every day of the week because players who can put a finishing touch like he did, they took the score of what we thought was going to be. 170, 175 rank: game over. That’s a shocking moment in the game, even though he was there for only 14 balls, “Moody told ESPNCricinfo.
In addition to Moody, Gautam Gambhir was impressed by Pandya, saying that had it not been for him, MI would not have ended up with a total as large as them. Pandya and Kishan pulled 78 of the last five with the all-rounder hitting the ball to nearly 265.
“It was amazing. At one point, you expected Mumbai to get what, 170? From there, getting to 200 was amazing and that’s where I think they pulled Mumbai out of the contest. And then the way they started. Hardik Pandya got it. Those 38 of 14, 15 balls against Rabada, Nortje is serious hitting. ”Gambhir said.
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