Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya etched his name into the annals of Indian Premier League (IPL) history by becoming the first-ever captain to claim a five-wicket haul in a single match.
In a thrilling encounter against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Ekana Cricket Stadium, Pandya’s fiery spell of 5/30 played a pivotal role in restricting LSG to 203/8. Despite his heroics, LSG managed to set a formidable target, thanks to explosive contributions from Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram.
Pandya’s historic performance came at a crucial juncture for Mumbai Indians, who were looking to turn their campaign around in the 2025 TATA IPL season. The all-rounder struck early, dismissing key LSG batsmen Nicholas Pooran (12) and captain Rishabh Pant (2) in the middle overs, breaking the momentum after LSG’s aggressive start. Pant, who has struggled this season with just 19 runs in four matches despite being the IPL’s most expensive player at ₹27 crore, fell cheaply to Pandya, adding pressure on the LSG batting lineup.
LSG’s innings was steadied by Aiden Markram, who scored a well-crafted 53 off 35 balls, and Mitchell Marsh, who smashed a quickfire 50 off 27 deliveries. However, Pandya returned in the death overs to remove both set batsmen, along with David Miller, who fell after reaching the milestone of 3000 IPL runs. Pandya’s final over was a masterclass, conceding just three runs off the last three balls while picking up back-to-back wickets to finish with figures of 5/30—his best in T20 cricket, surpassing his previous record of 4/16 against New Zealand in 2023.
Pandya’s incredible bowling performance of 4-0-36-5 not only broke Anil Kumble’s 16-year-old record for best figures by a captain but also marked a significant milestone in the league’s annals.
The previous record had been held by Anil Kumble, whose figures of 4-0-16-4 for Royal Challengers Bangalore had stood unchallenged since 2009. Pandya’s achievement places him in the pantheon of IPL greats, joining the likes of Shane Warne, JP Duminy, and Yuvraj Singh, who also showcased exceptional bowling as captains.
Not only did Pandya secure the record, but he also climbed to second place in the list of most wickets taken by an IPL captain with 30 scalps, following Shane Warne, who leads with 57 wickets. The electrifying match further solidifies Pandya’s legacy as both a leader and an all-rounder par excellence.
