Hardik Pandya's pre-match pep talk with Mumbai Indians youngsters ahead of LSG clash goes viral, MI captain says 'don't get carried away'

Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya is motivated and anticipates a similar level of enthusiasm from his team, as he was recently seen giving an inspiring pep talk to young players before their upcoming match against Lucknow Super Giants.

Ashwani Kumar, who impressed with a four-wicket haul against Kolkata Knight Riders, and Satyanarayan Raju were seen in a deep conversation with Pandya, suggesting that this motivational talk will be beneficial for them.

Taking to social media X, formerly known as Twitter, MI shared a video of their captain having a discussion with young players on how to perform under pressure and maintain composure. He also highlighted the significance of dismissing negative thoughts during bowling and focusing on executing their strategies effectively in the present moment.

In the video, MI captain can be heard saying “Before the match, be well prepared and stick to your plan. Try to execute it properly. You achieve success because you follow your plan. Sometimes, you bowl well but don’t get the results, but as long as you know you bowled well, focus on what more you can do. Never doubt yourself, as you are all good players."

April 3, 2025

Pandya further added, "Your opponents have a large following and will try to put you under pressure, but if you bowl with clear discipline, there’s no problem—things will work in your favour. Never get carried away by success, and never feel completely down in tough times. Stay grounded. You bowled well in the last game, so try to do the same in the next one. But if things don’t go your way, don’t feel like everything has fallen apart—just keep doing your thing. We will have lot's of fun and now atmosphere has changed.”

Ashwani's debut was remarkable, as he claimed four wickets for only 24 runs, establishing a new record as the first Indian bowler to achieve this on their IPL debut. His spell was crucial in limiting KKR to a modest total of 116 runs. MI comfortably chased down the target, thanks to Ryan Rickelton's unbeaten 62 off 41 balls, securing an eight-wicket victory and marking their first win of the season after two consecutive defeats.

Meanwhile, today's match is important for both the teams as LSG and MI, are currently seeking consistency with one win and two losses. Hardik Pandya-led Mumbai Indians are in 6th place, while Rishabh Pandya-led Lucknow Super Giants are in 7th position in the points table in IPL 2025.

Both the teams are set to compete against each other at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on today. The match will begin at 7:30 PM while the toss will take place at 7:00 PM.