The Indian Premier League has grown increasingly merciless to bowlers but when the Wankhede did roll out an uncharacteristic bowler-friendly deck on Thursday, the Mumbai Indians did not help their cause. After dropping two sitters, MI added salt to injury by dismissing Travis Head off a no-ball.
Sunrisers Hyderabad, fresh off a near-250 chase against Punjab Kings, returned to their IPL 2025 base level at the Wankhede on Thursday as the team managed a relatively paltry 46 in the powerplay albeit without losing any wickets. The credit fell more to the hosts than the visitors, as the Mumbai Indians let two catches slip in the very first over including a first-baller to Abhishek Sharma to let a potential zero-run opening stand eventually bludgeon to 59. Nevertheless, the Hardik Pandya-led side kept hitting the right areas to eventually send both Abhishek and Ishan Kishan packing in quick succession, and had a chance to establish complete control over the game were it not for a lapse of concentration.
Pandya was up against a struggling Travis Head in the 10th over with the Aussie batter going at practically run-a-ball, and tempted the opener to go big on the fourth delivery by delivering an outsiwnger going across him. Head needed no second invitation as he whipped the Kookaburra towards midwicket, only to pick out Will Jacks perfectly in the deep. The MI Paltan were ecstatic at having got rid of the danger man despite his poor run of form, but a warning siren awaited them — quite literally. Just as Head had accepted his fate and began to walk off, the no-ball alarm sounded but was not loud enough for either set of players to take heed. The subdued alert even confused the umpires but as Head and Pandya held their breaths, it was confirmed that Pandya had indeed overstepped and by a big margin.
The MI skipper could express no more than surprise as he walked back to his mark distraught, and ironically made the feeling worse for Twitterati with a well-executed free-hit ball that Head once again sent sailing down long-on’s throat.
Its No ball!
No ball call!
Hardik pandya got the wkt of travis head but umpire called it no ball#MIvSRH #SRHvMI #MIvsSRH #SRHvsMI #IshanKishan pic.twitter.com/IB7JHG9DYc
— Raj (@raj198419) April 17, 2025
Travis Head Luck Merchant forever#MIvsSRH pic.twitter.com/WlJ8QmYCgE
— Utsav 💙 (@utsav__45) April 17, 2025
Unlucky!
True!
Need luck like Travis Head 💔
– Hardik Pandya gets Travis Head, but he gets away as it was a no ball 🤕#Hardikpandya𓃵 #Ishan Kishan#MIvSRH #SRHvMI #MIvsSRH #SRHvsMI pic.twitter.com/ZRjDgBp51p— Raj (@raj198419) April 17, 2025
Hardik got Head’s wicket on a no ball Our rotten luck 💔 #MIvSRH #MIvsSRH pic.twitter.com/AAbF5BWJ96
— Mr.Django (@_Mr_Django_) April 17, 2025
Hahah!
Lol!
Hardik Taking wicket on a no ball is a never-ending love story
— Roxxstarrr..🚩 (@Weirdo___777___) April 17, 2025
No Ball…😐
The Luck against blue Jersey for Head is insane…💀🙏#hardik #TravisHead pic.twitter.com/DvDHLewIFi— 𝙼𝚊𝚡_𝚂𝚞𝚍𝚎𝚎𝚙𝚒𝚊𝚗_45 (@RameshKandakur1) April 17, 2025
Very unlucky for MI!
