Hardik Pandya’s Cheeky Send-Off To KKR Batter Just Days After ‘Stare’ Incident. Watch

Hardik Pandya gave a cheeky send-off to Angkrish Raghuvanshi during the IPL 2025 encounter between Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday. The incident came just days after the controversy involving Hardik and Gujarat Titans cricketer R Sai Kishore where the two stars were involved in a cold stare-off. During the 7th over of the KKR innings, Raghuvanshi tried to pull a delivery from Hardik across the line but ended up giving an easy catch to Naman Dhir at deep mid-wicket. Hardik was extremely pleased with the dismissal and he made a ‘goodbye’ gesture towards the young batter.

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Coming to the match, a sparkling debut performance by medium pacer Ashwani Kumar, powered up by a single banana, helped Mumbai Indians register their first win of the IPL season, downing Kolkata Knight Riders by eight wickets.

Kumar’s 4-24 — and an overall disciplined bowling performance — restricted champions Kolkata to a modest total of 116, which Mumbai chased down with more than seven overs to spare. 

The 23-year-old accounted for Kolkata captain Ajinkya Rahane, Rinkhu Singh, Manish Pandey and the powerful Andre Russell.

“I didn’t have anything for lunch, I just had a banana. There was a little pressure. I wasn’t feeling hungry,” said Kumar. 

“But still, I played well, so it’s good.

“(Captain) Hardik Pandya said that since it’s your debut match, enjoy yourself. Just keep bowling the way you have been,” he added.

Pandya said the credit for his bowler’s impressive debut should go to the extensive Mumbai scouting network.

“We thought Ashwani can come in on this pitch and bowl the way he bowled. It is all the scouts – they picked him,” said Pandya.

“They have gone to all the places and picked these young kids. We played a practice game, he had that zip, that late swing, something off the wicket, a different action and he was a leftie.”

South African wicketkeeper-batsman Ryan Rickelton spearheaded Mumbai’s chase, scoring a busy 62 off 41 balls, an innings laced with five sixes. 

With AFP Inputs