Pandya wants batters to step up for stuttering Mumbai

New Delhi — Hardik Pandya is not pressing the panic button yet but the Mumbai Indians captain wants his batsmen to step up after their second successive defeat in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Five-time champions Mumbai boast a batting line-up that includes India T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav, Test and one-day skipper Rohit Sharma and the hard-hitting Tilak Varma in their top five.

Mumbai posted below-par scores of 155 and 160 in their defeats by Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans and Pandya said the batsmen needed to improve their performance.

“There should not be a concern [about the batting] but at the moment I think it is time,” Pandya said after Gujarat beat them by 36 runs in Ahmedabad on Saturday.

“I mean, we all need to take responsibilities and it's [at an] early stage. But at the same time, I think batters have to come to the party. And yeah, hopefully they come soon.”

Gujarat captain Shubman Gill and his opening partner Sai Sudharsan milked 66 runs from six power-play overs to set the tone for their match-winning total of 196/8.

“They batted brilliantly,” said all-rounder Pandya in recognition of the Gujarat players.

“The way they both batted was quite exceptional. They didn't take chances. They hit good boundaries. They did the right stuff.

“I think in the power play, without high-risk shots, they were able to get those runs. That made us go a little [on the] back foot and I think from that time onwards, we were doing catch up.”

Languishing ninth in the 10-team league, Mumbai host three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday. 

Reuters