IPL 2025: Hardik Pandya Presents His Bat to Kashvee Gautam Before DC Clash

Synopsis

In a heartwarming gesture, Hardik Pandya gifts his bat to Kashvee Gautam ahead of her debut for India, following their meeting during the WPL. Kashvee's impressive performances have earned her a spot in the national team for the ODI series against Sri Lanka and South Africa.

Key Takeaways

Hardik Pandya gifts his bat to Kashvee Gautam.
Kashvee is set for her India debut.
She was the leading wicket-taker in the WPL.
Delhi Capitals are unbeaten this season.
Mumbai Indians are struggling in the current IPL.

New Delhi, April 13 (NationPress) Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya has presented his bat to pace-bowling all-rounder Kashvee Gautam ahead of her anticipated debut for India. Pandya met Kashvee during the Women’s Premier League (WPL) match against Mumbai Indians and promised to send a bat after discovering that the Gujarat Giants player looks up to him. She even inscribed HP33 on her bat.

Kashvee made her WPL debut in the 2025 season with Gujarat Giants, participating in nine matches. She achieved 11 wickets and contributed 43 runs. The 21-year-old emerged as the top wicket-taker for her franchise in the tournament. Her stellar performance earned her a maiden call-up to the national team for the upcoming tri-nation One Day International (ODI) series against Sri Lanka and South Africa, starting at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on April 27. India will face Sri Lanka women in the inaugural match on April 27.

Kashvee's second encounter with Pandya took place at the Arun Jaitley Stadium before the Mumbai Indians' match against the Delhi Capitals. The MI captain congratulated Kashvee on her maiden call-up and extended his best wishes for her future endeavors.

As for Pandya, the current IPL season has been challenging, with MI securing only one victory in four matches. They currently sit second to last in the points table, holding two points. Mumbai Indians recently faced a 12-run defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Wankhede Stadium earlier this week. They aim to improve their performance in the upcoming clash against the Delhi Capitals on Sunday evening.

Conversely, the Axar Patel-led Delhi Capitals are on a winning streak, having achieved four consecutive victories in as many games. They remain the only unbeaten team in the league so far, leading the table with eight points, propelled by an impressive net run rate of 1.278.

In their latest match, KL Rahul's unbeaten 93 propelled Delhi Capitals to a commanding six-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Thursday.