'Cost us the game’ - Hardik Pandya points out Tilak Varma's lack of 'game awareness' after loss to Delhi Capitals

Mumbai Indians continued their rough patch in the ongoing IPL (Indian Premier League) 2024 season. Playing against Delhi Capitals in their ninth game of the season, Mumbai lost the game by 10 runs to record their sixth loss of the season.

Mumbai were set a massive target of 258 runs and Tilak Varma was the highest-scorer of the team as the youngster scored 63 runs in 32 deliveries. However, his knock was not enough to propel Mumbai to a win. After the game, MI skipper Hardik Pandya pointed out the lack of game awareness as the reason why MI lost the game. While he did not name Tilak, he opined that the "left-hander" should have gone after Axar Patel in the middle-overs. and not going after Patel cost them the game. 

Also read: 'Having played for India, I have a slightly bigger responsibility' - Tilak Varma on IPL 2024 goals

"Axar bowling to a left-hander [Tilak], the better option could have been to go after him, I think it was just a little game awareness that we missed out. At the end of the day, that cost us the game,” Pandya said at the post-match presensation.

"The way the games are going and how the bowlers are under pressure throughout the competition, we backed ourselves to do it, the self-belief [was there], But if I have to pinpoint a couple overs in the middle, we could've taken some extra chances,” he added.

Furthermore, Pandya praised Delhi Capitals’ opener, Jake Fraser-McGurk, who attacked the MI bowlers right from the get-go, scoring 84 runs in just 27 deliveries, propelling DC to a total of 257 runs. "It was quite amazing the way he batted, he played very calculated shots. It was a smart innings. He uses the field very well; he was trying to chip the ball if it wasn't in his arc,” Pandya said.