IPL 2025: MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene reveals why Deepak Chahar bowled the last over ahead of Hardik Pandya

Mumbai Indians (MI) head coach Mahela Jayawardene has defended under-fire Deepak Chahar, who conceded 15 runs off the final over to concede a three-wicket win to the Gujarat Titans in the 56th match of the IPL 2025 season at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

On why Hardik Pandya didn’t bowl the ultimate over, Jayawardene stated that the MI captain had conceded 18 runs in the initial over he had bowled, changing the game’s complexion before the first rain break.

"Deepak did that job for us when Booms [Jasprit Bumrah] was not there [for the first few games of the season]. He was good, our main bowler. It's easier for you to ask me that question and for me to say, 'yeah, maybe Hardik'. Had Hardik gone for three sixes, you might have asked me why you didn't bowl Deepak. I don't like to go to that,” Jayawardene said at the post-match press conference.

The 148-run chase turned out to be a rollercoaster ride for the Titans due to multiple rain breaks. Alongside captain Gill’s 43-run knock, Jos Buttler (30) and Sherfane Rutherford (28) played valuable knocks in the chase.

Jasprit Bumrah was exceptional, taking important wickets of Shubman Gill and Shah Rukh Khan (6) to turn the game upside down. However, with the main bowlers finishing their quota for the 19th over, Deepak Chahar had to bowl to defend 15 runs.

"Throughout the game, we made some good decisions with the ball when we had to attack. Deepak's execution - a couple of balls he missed, they hit some good shots, we bowled a no-ball as well on top of that - and we still came down to the last ball,” he said.

"It was not the decision; it was the execution. That's where we lost the game. My thinking is we lost the game when we had control of it and that was disappointing,” he concluded.

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