Mumbai Indians’ search for a reliable winning pattern remained fruitless as captain Hardik Pandya pointed to the familiar issues—sloppy fielding and another batting showing that fell short—after the four-wicket loss to Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday. The defeat left MI, who were already out of the playoff picture, to rue yet another disappointing outing in what has been a tough campaign. For KKR, the win kept their slim qualification chances ticking, taking them to 13 points with one remaining league match.
Pandya’s verdict after Mumbai’s defeat
- Pandya said the batting group felt they had fallen behind by about 20 runs, highlighting that wickets had tumbled during the powerplay.
- He suggested that if Tilak Varma and he had stayed at the crease for longer, and if a couple of additional partnerships had been built, MI could have found the extra 15 to 20 runs needed to be in contention.
- The skipper also criticised the team’s fielding across the season, saying they had dropped many chances.
- He stressed that when the goal is to win, teams cannot afford to miss even half-chances, because once chances that can swing a match are dropped, the side often ends up chasing instead of setting the pace.
Despite the setback, Pandya offered praise for the pitch, describing it as a refreshing change at a time when the IPL has increasingly become heavily skewed towards batters. He said he did not mind playing on a surface that gives bowlers something to work with, adding that the league has become overly batting-dominated and that bowlers can feel “helpless” when conditions do not assist them.
He felt the match itself provided bowlers with a better platform, forcing batters to play more deliberate cricket and producing a contest that, in his view, helped the bowling side too.
Powell on the conditions and KKR’s chase
KKR batter Rovman Powell, whose knock of 40 proved decisive even as wickets fell regularly at the other end, said he felt comfortable from the start because the pitch reminded him of a typical Caribbean surface. He described it as a wicket that does not behave like the classic IPL strip where the ball skids onto the bat, but one where the ball holds slightly in the wicket.
Powell said his strategy was to keep targeting the shorter side of the ground. He noted that the match situation and the nature of the surface made it clear that getting a start was key, and once he had settled, the plan was to put pressure by attacking the shorter boundary.
He added that scoring contributions in a team win matter most, and that his immediate focus as a side was to finish their remaining league game with fearless, entertaining cricket, while also hoping that other results elsewhere go in their favour to secure the final playoff berth.
Powell concluded that the next match is all that KKR can control: they will focus on playing good cricket, and then let qualification take care of itself based on how events unfold around them.
