Hardik Pandya Creates History as the First IPL Captain to Claim 5 Wickets

Hardik Pandya put on an absolute clinic with the ball on Friday night, reminding everyone why he’s one of the most dangerous all-rounders in the game. Leading from the front, the Mumbai Indians skipper picked up a sensational five-wicket haul against the Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Stadium.

Hardik finished with 5 for 36, eclipsing his previous best of 4 for 16 against New Zealand back in 2023. What made this spell even more special was that he became the first captain in IPL history to take a five-wicket haul. And it wasn’t just any five – it was a high-impact collection of wickets that included Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant, David Miller, Aiden Markram, and Akash Deep. Talk about delivering in crunch moments.  

Lucknow had started the game like a runaway train, with Mitchell Marsh going full throttle and hammering a 31-ball 60. But just when it looked like MI were in trouble, youngster Vignesh Puthur broke through by removing Marsh. That dismissal opened the door, and Hardik stormed right through it. He brought himself on in the ninth over and struck gold almost instantly, sending Pooran back to the dugout. Soon after, he had Pant walking too, and from there, it was the Hardik show. 

Even David Miller couldn’t help but tip his hat to the MI skipper at the halfway mark. “He is a good bowler. He is a little bit quicker than you think. He has got good variations, he holds the length really really well. He bowled really well tonight. Hopefully, one of our bowlers could do the same,” Miller said during the mid-innings interview. 

For someone who’s faced criticism for both form and fitness in recent months, this performance was a timely reminder of what Hardik can bring to the table. He bowled with purpose, mixed up his pace smartly, and led by example when his team needed it most. 

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