New Delhi: In Match No. 9 of IPL 2025, Gujarat Titans secured a convincing 36-run victory over Mumbai Indians on Saturday. Chasing a target of 197, Mumbai Indians could only manage 160 runs in 20 overs. Once again, Rohit Sharma failed to deliver, getting bowled by Mohammed Siraj after scoring just 8 runs. His opening partner Ryan Rickelton also departed early, scoring only 6 runs.

Despite a 62-run partnership between Suryakumar Yadav (48) and Tilak Varma (39), MI fell short. Hopes were high that skipper Hardik Pandya would guide the team to victory, but his decision to send inexperienced Robin Minz ahead of himself turned out to be a major mistake. Let’s take a look at the three biggest reasons for Mumbai Indians’ defeat in this match.

1. Not Including Vignesh Puthur in the Playing XI

Mumbai Indians had already lost their first match, but young bowler Vignesh Puthur impressed everyone in that game against Chennai Super Kings. On his IPL debut, he bowled exceptionally well, taking 3 wickets for 32 runs in his four-over spell. However, Hardik Pandya shockingly dropped him from the playing XI against Gujarat Titans, a decision that proved costly for MI. His absence was one of the key reasons for Mumbai’s defeat.

2. Excluding Will Jacks from the Squad

Another blunder by Hardik Pandya was leaving out England’s power-hitter Will Jacks. It’s worth noting that Jacks had previously smashed a century at this very stadium. On April 28, 2024, he played an unbeaten knock of 100 runs off just 41 balls against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium. Keeping such an in-form player out of the squad was a questionable decision that hurt MI’s chances.

3. Hardik Pandya’s Strange Batting Order Decision

Hardik Pandya is known for his aggressive batting and ability to chase down targets under pressure. However, against Gujarat Titans, he sent the inexperienced Robin Minz ahead of himself. At that point, MI needed 100 runs off 51 balls. Instead of taking charge, Pandya’s decision to send Minz backfired as he could only score 3 runs off 6 balls. This poor strategic move cost MI a potential comeback in the match