Hardik Pandya abuses Sai Kishore in intense staredown during MI vs GT; duo reconcile with hug

What is IPL without a bit of drama and on-field altercations? The 18th season began on a rather dull note; gone are the days when players would engage in heated arguments on the field. The aggression and intensity seem missing this season, with matches being won and lost without much fire.

On Saturday night, March 29, 2025, Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya and Gujarat Titans spinner R Sai Kishore had a tense face-off that lasted a couple of minutes. Not only did they exchange death stares, but Hardik, who is known for his calm and composed demeanor, also hurled abuses at Sai Kishore.

Hardik Pandya vs. Sai Kishore: What Exactly Happened?

The incident occurred during the 15th over of the Mumbai Indians' innings. After bowling a dot ball, Sai Kishore shot a death stare at Hardik Pandya, which visibly agitated the MI skipper. In response, Hardik didn't hold back—he not only walked towards Sai Kishore but also fired back with expletives. Both players engaged in a tense staredown at the center of the pitch, prompting the umpires to step in and separate them.

The confrontation reached its peak when Hardik was caught on camera yelling "F*** off" at Sai Kishore. Though the words weren't audible, his lip movements made it quite evident.

All is well that ends well. After the controversial moment between the duo, Hardik and Kishore were seen hugging each other after the match. The heartwarming moment dragged the attention of the netizens on X (formerly Twitter).

While reacting to the incident after the game, Kishore said, "He (Hardik) is a good friend of mine, inside the field it should be like that, but we don't take things personally."

Kishore returned figures of 1 for 37 in his quota of four overs. Talking about his bowling, he said, "I wasn't getting as much purchase today, so I had to bowl defensively and had to do a job for the team. The pitch played better than it looked.

MI lost the game by 36 runs to GT. Suryakumar Yadav was their top scorer with a 48-run knock off 28.

Hardik Pandya fined

Hardik Pandya has been fined Rs12 lakh for his team's slow over-rate during their IPL 2025 match against the Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. This fine comes as a result of Mumbai's failure to maintain the required over-rate, which they lost by 36 runs while chasing a target of 197. According to the IPL's Code of Conduct, this was Mumbai's first offence under Article 2.2, which deals with minimum over-rate violations.

"The simple reason is we don't know how the pitch will play, plus the dew factor. It's always better to bat second on the black-soil pitch. Only last year, we played on black soil, otherwise, we have been playing on red soil. Last year, we had the game under wraps but couldn't finish it."

"The prep has been fantastic, the boys are excited and we back each other, be there for each other. Very happy stage. I come back, and the others we are keeping the options open. Always about playing good cricket, planning right and enjoying the game," Hardik said.