Guwahati: Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya admitted he was “in awe” after teenage hitter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi delivered a match-winning burst of power to help Rajasthan Royals beat MI by 27 runs in a rain-affected IPL 2026 encounter on Tuesday. The contest was trimmed to 11 overs per side, but RR made the shortened format count, posting a target that proved too steep for Mumbai to chase.
Rain reduces the contest as Rajasthan set the tone
- The match, moved to 11 overs for each team due to rain, saw Rajasthan put up 150/3.
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi struck a rapid 39 off just 14 balls, playing with notable aggression despite the reduced overs.
- Yashasvi Jaiswal remained unbeaten on 77, anchoring the innings while still allowing momentum to build at the right moments.
- When Mumbai went in, they were restricted to 123/9, handing Rajasthan a 27-run win.
With the result, Mumbai slipped to seventh in the points table. Even so, Pandya chose to focus on the fearless approach shown by the 15-year-old opener, who has quickly become one of the most discussed young talents in the league.
“It’s quite fascinating to see a 17 or a 16-year-old boy playing the way he played,” Pandya said after the match. “At the same time, we discussed so much about him in our preparation. Still, the way he bats — the kind of fearlessness he has, the kind of shots he plays — it’s amazing to see. I wish him absolute good luck for the future.”
Sooryavanshi dismantles the early plans
Sooryavanshi wasted little time asserting himself, taking on India fast-bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah with bold strokeplay. His innings featured multiple sixes that swung the game decisively toward Rajasthan, especially during the powerplay phase.
Pandya acknowledged that the opening partnership of Jaiswal and Sooryavanshi effectively derailed Mumbai’s plans from the start. In his view, the duo “threw Mumbai out of the game” during the opening overs itself.
Bowling execution blamed as the key difference
Despite praising the batting display, Pandya pointed to Mumbai’s bowling as the main reason they fell short in a shortened fixture where margins are razor-thin.
“We did not execute the deliveries we were supposed to, and they played well,” he said. “In a shortened game like this, bowlers need to take more responsibility. As a bowling group, we were not at all up to the mark.”
He also suggested that better discipline with the ball could have changed the outcome, stressing that T20 matches often come down to repeating the right plans at the right times.
“T20 cricket is about bowling the right couple of balls. If we had executed those, we would have been in the game. I would not put this on the batting — this was definitely on the bowling unit.”
Looking ahead for Mumbai
After the defeat, Pandya said Mumbai will focus on correcting errors rather than dwelling on the result. “Just learn from the mistakes. The morning will come tomorrow, the sun will rise,” he remarked, referencing their next match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. “We need to prepare well and come back stronger.”
