Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya conceded this has been a tough campaign for his team after Saturday’s defeat to Chennai Super Kings. MI, the five-time champions, have now lost seven of their nine matches and were outplayed as Ruturaj Gaikwad led CSK to a dominant win. The result also left Mumbai’s qualification prospects in serious trouble, with only five matches remaining in the league stage.
Reflecting on the loss, Hardik did not try to sugarcoat matters and acknowledged that the season so far has not matched the standards MI would have expected. When asked if it was simply “not Mumbai’s night,” he responded that the problem was bigger than a single game. He also pointed to CSK’s execution, saying the opposition carried out their plans more effectively in all departments.
“Not the season, I feel, not just the night,” Hardik said. He added: “They played better; bowled, fielded and batted better. At one point, we were looking at 180-190. We couldn’t get momentum post 10 overs, not the finish as well. Not easy to play shots early in the innings. It was about playing calculated innings, which they did. Batters couldn’t get under the batter, they bowled better. We would’ve had to throw fireballs to get them out. We went with our bowling options, they played smart cricket and were better.”
With CSK chasing a target of 160, the requirement was not daunting for the home side. Gaikwad powered the chase with 67 not out from 48 balls, striking five fours and two sixes. It was his second straight fifty. Alongside him, Kartik played a composed role to secure the finish for CSK, staying unbeaten on 40 off 40 balls—his first IPL half-century—supported by four boundaries and three maximums. CSK completed the job with 11 balls to spare.
At 20 years and 6 days old, Kartik became the second-youngest batter for CSK to reach an IPL fifty, only behind Ayush Mhatre, who did it at 17 years and 291 days. The pair kept rotating strike effectively and made the most of loose deliveries, repeatedly finding the boundary while maintaining tight control over the chase. Their third-wicket partnership of 98 runs came from 75 balls and set the tone for the pursuit.
The eight-wicket triumph marked CSK’s biggest win over MI in IPL history, and it also gave them a third league double over their rivals—following the seasons of 2014 and 2023.
