[Watch] Tilak Varma Joins 'Failed' Rohit, Pandya In Dugout After Brief Fightback Vs RR
Chahal after sending Varma back for 32 (AP Photo)
The Indian Premier League (IPL 2024) is getting only worse for Hardik Pandya's Mumbai Indians (MI), as the five-time champions are having their worst outing with the bat of the season against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Monday.
Against Trent Boult and Nandre Burger, MI's top-order batters failed to stand tall, but captain Pandya and Tilak Varma forced a brief fightback till Yuzvendra Chahal came into the attack.
The wily wrist-spinner first removed Pandya and then got young Tilak Varma's number with a wrong'un. Chahal dished a wide delivery that was bowled on a good length, on which the southpaw went poking and edged to the short third man via a loose cut shot on 32 after 29 balls.
Watch: Tilak Varma's dismay as Chahal dismisses him
As Varma played a loose stroke and the ball ballooned towards short third man, Ravichandran Ashwin jogged in front and took a diving catch to help his spin twin bag his second scalp of the day.
Earlier in the evening, MI lost three of their top four batters on golden ducks as Rohit Sharma, Naman Dhir and Dewald Brevis could not disturb the scorers against Rajasthan on Monday.
Ishan Kishan tried his hand, but Burger shut him down after a 14-ball 16.
After that, Pandya and Varma shared a 56-run stand a ticking rate, but the duo was swallowed in a spam of four overs by Chahal, who ended the day with 3 for 11.
At the time of publishing, MI are crawling on their way to a fighting total as the scoreboard reads 114-8 after 18 overs.