Ashwani Kumar's IPL career also took a turn for the better when he got words of motivation from none other than Hardik Pandya. The young pacer, who made a sensational IPL 2025 debut with Mumbai Indians, had a warm moment which raised his confidence during a game.

Ashwani remembered being interviewed by Trivedi and mentioned a conversation he had with Hardik Pandya. "Hardik Pandya said to me, 'You're a Punjabi, and Punjabis don't get afraid, they make others afraid. It boosted my confidence,'" Trivedi quotes Ashwani. The words of the seasoned all-rounder deeply affected the young bowler, leaving him with a boost of confidence when he most needed it.

Hardik's message was not merely a praise but a word of reminder regarding the fearlessness that characterizes cricketers from Punjab, a region with a reputation of producing some of the most brilliant and bold cricketers of the game. For Ashwani, who had sweated it out hard to finally gain his entry in the IPL, to hear something so uplifting from a senior colleague was a booster for him for his capacity.

ALSO SEE: Ashwani Kumar’s Father Shares His Son’s Hard Work Before IPL Success

Ashwani's journey to IPL stardom was not without its share of struggles. He had faced innumerable struggles along the way, from financial difficulties to long practice commutes. But Hardik's words of encouragement helped him overcome any negative self-doubt, providing him with the inspiration to perform at the highest level.

With the booster in confidence, Ashwani went on to give a match-winning performance, picking up 4 wickets on his IPL debut against the Kolkata Knight Riders. His rags-to-riches tale is the ultimate symbol of the strength that is in positive motivation and how a well-timed word of advice by an experienced player can turn the life of a young cricketer around.

Ashwani Kumar's tale speaks of the need to have faith in oneself and the ability to bond with teammates to determine a player's career. Full of self-confidence, he will establish himself in the IPL, and who knows, perhaps set the stage alight for the future generation of Punjab cricketers too.

Mumbai Indians are back their home at Wankhede  Stadium where the home team captain was welcomed with huge cheers, Mumbai Indians lost their first two matches against Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans which is considered a serious downfall for the 5-time IPL winning franchise. They are playing their first home game after two away matches, the last match was quite dreadful for him and he was welcomed with boos sounds from the Ahmedabad crowd. 
Hardik Pandya used to be the captain of Gujarat Titans and had won a title for them but things started to change drastically when Mumbai Indians approached Pandya for a shift and he accepted on one condition that if he was assured of captaincy and the franchise accepted it and Pandya moved to Mumbai Indians to very next season. 

Read More: Top three players to watch LSG vs PBKS

Hardik Pandya Gets Booed by Gujarat Crowd

Hardik Pandya had a good tenure of captaincy when he was associated with GT. But once he went there was lots of confusion on GT's side and the crowd felt that Hardik Pandya betrayed them. Hardik Pandya's captaincy tenure was not good in the next season where their regular captain Rohit Sharma was removed from captaincy too. Last season MI wasn't able to reach the play-off and was out early. When Hardik Pandya came to Ahmedabad a few days ago he was booed by the crowd. 

Hardik Pandya getting booed by Hyderabad crowd 🔥🔥. #RohitSharma𓃵 pic.twitter.com/3dZQb1S7ed

— Abhijeet (@King__Ro45) March 27, 2024

Mi started their campaign against Csk in their home ground in Chepauk it was a close match between these two teams where CSK had the upper hand. The next match was in Ahmedabad where on the toss time he was booed by the crowd of Gujarat which clearly mentioned the dissatisfaction of people on him. However, Mumbai couldn't do much in that match against Gujarat and lost two on two matches which put them in a difficult situation. Today'ss game against KKR would be some hope to give joy to Mumbai supporters

LOUD CHEER FOR HARDIK PANDYA BY WANKHEDE CROWD. GOOD TO SEE. pic.twitter.com/eigZimq7oi

— R A T N I S H (@LoyalSachinFan) March 31, 2025

Now Mumbai has reached their home ground Wankhede where they will play against KKR it should be a must-win game for Mumbai Indians to remain in the league before Mumbai bounced back from this situation earlier too. This can be a moment changer for them and a confidence gainer for Hardik Pandya too. 

Mumbai Indians IPL 2025: Winning a trophy without Jasprit Bumrah is difficult, not impossible, as Team India has proved. Mumbai Indians bowling department, lacking right rhythm, can take a lesson from the Champions Trophy 2025-winning Team India, coached by Gautam Gambhir and led by skipper Rohit Sharma.

Read More: IPL 2025: Mitchell Starc Creates History With Speedy 200 T20 Wickets

In this prestigious ICC event, the Men in Blue Brigade, deprived of the service of Jasprit Bumrah, managed to rope in a bunch of bowlers, who performed as a unit. The credit for conquering the CT 2025 should go to Gautam Gambhir and the management. Team India mostly relies on Mohammed Shami (veteran pacer), Hardik Pandya (all-rounder), Varun Chakravarthy (spinner and the x-factor), Kuldeep Yadav (experienced spinner), Axar Patel (spinner and all-rounder), Ravindra Jadeja (spinner and all-rounder), and Harshit Rana (pacer) during the Champions Trophy 2025—an all-rounder-heavy bowling combination.

Mumbai Indians also can try this method to defeat the Kolkata Knight Riders and to regain their glory. Mumbai Indians have all the elements in their squad they need to build a solid foundation without Bumrah. Trent Boult and experienced pacer bowler Deepak Chahar, underrated all-rounder Mitchell Santner, experienced spinner, and Vignesh Puthur can play as an x-factor for this season and the skipper and all-rounder Hardik Pandya—these 5 can play key roles as long as Bumrah remains out of the field. The only thing Pandya can do is pick up the right bowlers at the right moment.

In the 12th match of the IPL 2025, Wankhede Stadium (Mumbai) will host Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders (MI vs KKR) match on Monday evening (March 31). Now, we are going through the top choices of Dream11 captains and vice-captains for the forthcoming MI vs KKR match.  

IPL 2025, Match 12: MI vs KKR Probable XIs

Gujarat Titans (GT) got their first victory of IPL 2025 by beating Mumbai Indians (MI) by 36 runs at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium. Shubman Gill-led GT scored a whopping 196/6 in 20 overs due to a carefully timed 63 off 41 balls by Sai Sudharsan. Jos Buttler (39 off 24) and Gill himself, who made a solid 38 off 29 balls, stood by him. Despite a solid total, GT’s bowlers ensured MI never got going in the chase.

GT’s Bowling Attack Shuts Down MI’s Chase

MI struggled from the start as Mohammed Siraj struck twice in the powerplay, removing key batters. Prasidh Krishna (2/18) delivered a match-winning spell in the middle overs, dismissing Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav, pushing MI further behind in the chase. Kagiso Rabada added to MI’s troubles by taking the crucial wicket of captain Hardik Pandya (11 runs). Eventually, MI could not recover, falling well short of the target.

Hardik Pandya vs R Sai Kishore: Heated Standoff

The big point of discussion of the match was the staredown between GT spinner R Sai Kishore and MI captain Hardik Pandya on the field.In the 15th over, Hardik returned a ball to Kishore, who picked it and gave a staring look to the MI skipper. Hardik retaliated with a gesture and an expletive, prompting a mini face-off before the umpire intervened. Following the match, Sai Kishore played down the incident and said, "Hardik is a good friend.Within the field, we are competitors, but it's never about that."

ALSO SEE: MI can easily win against KKR if they make these 2 changes in the team: IPL 2025

GT's First IPL 2025 Win: A Comeback With Strength

After a disappointing season start, this victory is a huge turnaround for Gujarat Titans. With towering performances from both their batting and bowling departments, GT has set the pace for the days to come in IPL 2025. Mumbai Indians, however, will have to rethink their strategy after another failed chase.

Gujarat Titans’ First IPL 2025 Victory Comes from Defeating Mumbai Indians by 36 Runs

Gujarat Titans clinched their first victory in IPL 2025 by overcoming the Mumbai Indians (MI) by 36 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.

Batting Wins the Game for GT

GT faced no trouble, as they comfortably managed 196 runs with 8 wickets taken in the 20 overs. Sai Sudharsan managed the innings, while both Shubman Gill (38) and Jos Buttler (39) played their parts. Rashid Khan and Rahul Tewatia’s cameos played a major impact as wickets fell regularly.

A Slow But Steady Chase by MI

MI’s chase began on a rough note as they lost Rohit Sharma early to Mohammed Siraj. Suryakumar Yadav struggled but managed a strong 48 runs off 28 balls. With Siraj and Prasidh Krishna’s amazing bowling skills, the rest of MI struggled as well. Hardik Pandya’s poor performance during the middle overs did not help MI's cause either, and at the end they fell short, scoring 160 with 8 wickets taken.

Also read:Watch: Hardik Pandya fight with Sai Kishore IPL 2025

Key Performances

• Sai Sudharsan (GT): Crucial innings refresher.
• Suryakumar Yadav (MI): Tried to keep MI stable, scored 48.
• Mohammed Siraj (GT): Smashed both Yadav and Sharma’s wickets early in the game.
• Prasidh Krishna (GT): Minimized MI’s scoring during the middle overs.

Post-Match Reactions

Mumbai Indians Captain, Hardik Pandya:
"It was a hard-fought game. The team showed great resilience, especially after our previous loss. Our bowlers executed the plans well, and the batsmen held their nerve during the chase. This win boosts our confidence moving forward.

Gujarat Titans Captain, Shubman Gill:
"Disappointed with the result. We were in the game till the end but couldn't capitalize on key moments. Credit to MI for their performance. We'll analyze our mistakes and come back stronger in the next match.

Also read:Suryakumar Yadav hit on helmet by Prasidh Krishna’s fiery bouncer

Player of the Match, Suryakumar Yadav:
"Happy to contribute to the team's victory. After being hit on the helmet, I took a moment to compose myself. The support from teammates helped me regain focus and see the game through.

Both teams acknowledged the competitive spirit of the game and emphasized learning from this encounter as they progress in the tournament.

Fiery Exchange Between Pandya and Sai Kishore

Everything escalated on the 15th over of MI’s innings when Sai Kishore stared at Pandya over a boundary and Pandya didn't break his gaze either. In a response, Pandya pointed at Sai Kishore saying “Ball utha aur daal.” Anticipation filled the field as the two warmed each other's spirits through staring.

hardik vs sai kishore 😂😂pic.twitter.com/q4m5lTyYm5

— 🐐 (@itshitmanera) March 29, 2025

Also read:Suryakumar Yadav hit on helmet by Prasidh Krishna’s fiery bouncer

Along with the drama, the umpires had to assign themselves to meddle the situation which was one of the highlights of the battle. Nonetheless Gujarat Titans continues to stay calm and win the match, adding fuel to fire for this situation to turn heated.

Before the much awaited IPL 2025 match between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Gujarat Titans (GT), a humorous and emotional conversation between Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya became the talk of social media.

As MI were conducting their practice session, Rohit Sharma was in full gear, hitting massive sixes with ease during the nets. Hardik Pandya, sitting at a distance was clearly impressed. In a lighthearted gesture, he blew a flying kiss towards Rohit, and the players and support staff around them grinned and laughed.

Hardik gives Rohit a flying kiss after watching his sixes🔥💙 pic.twitter.com/h48WDk2aJe

— Radha (@Rkc1511165) March 29, 2025

ALSO SEE: Watch: Sehwag trolled MS Dhoni on camera, Should Dhoni retire?

The moment was filmed and went viral on social media in a short while, with fans enjoying the warm interaction between the two cricket legends. Hardik and Rohit have long been close friends, having played together for Mumbai Indians for a number of years and winning numerous IPL titles together. In IPL 2024 though Hardik was back at MI as captain while Rohit relinquished the captaincy role. Even though there has been a change their respect and friendship for each other are not affected. With GT and MI to battle it out in a thrilling game, this friendly moment has heightened the anticipation. Fans are now looking forward to seeing how both players play when they meet on the field.

On Saturday evening (March 29), Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians (GT vs MI) will face each other in the ninth match of the IPL 2025, which Narendra Modi Stadium (Ahmedabad) will host. Now, let's check the Dream11 top captains and vice-captains for the GT vs MI match. 

The Gujarat Titans (GT) vs. Mumbai Indians (MI) match is set for March 29, 2025, at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. Both teams are elated in anticipation of grabbing their first win of the season, shaping the aesthetic for this match to be even more engrossing.

Match Details – IPL 2025

• Match: Gujarat Titans (GT) vs Mumbai Indians (MI)
• Date: 29th March 2025 
• Time: 7:30 PM IST
• Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
• Live Streaming: JioStar & Star Sports Network

Also read:IPL 2025 GT vs MI : player battles to watch out

 Weather and Pitch Condition:

Weather Condition:

• The Ahmedabad forecast promises skies that are clear throughout the game, and the temperature hovering between 31 and 37 degrees guarantees no rain holdups.
• 11% (Humidity)
• No rain is predicted, ensuring an uninterrupted match.

Pitch Forecast:

• Known for its batting-rich track, the Narendra Modi Stadium is likely to produce another high-scoring game because of the expected bounce and pace, which is favorable for aggressive batting. 
• As the match shifts toward the end, spinners may get some help due to the pitch slowing down.

Also read:IPL 2025: CSK vs RCB at Chepauk: A head-to-head breakdown