Hardik Pandya looked visibly disappointed as Mumbai Indians suffered yet another setback in IPL 2026, losing their third match in a row. On Sunday at the Wankhede Stadium, MI went down to Royal Challengers Bengaluru by 18 runs, despite chasing a steep target.
RCB had set the tone early, posting 240/4 after being put into bat. Their innings was driven by significant contributions, with Phil Salt, Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar each producing influential half-century performances to give Bengaluru a commanding total. In response, Mumbai were never able to seize full control of the chase, even with a promising start from Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton. The chase ultimately stalled at 222/5, leaving Sherfane Rutherford’s unbeaten 71 as the clearest bright spot for the losing side.
Back in the dressing room, Hardik spoke to the squad together with head coach Mahela Jayawardene. He urged the players to take the loss as a collective challenge rather than retreat into individual isolation. Speaking to the group, he explained the mindset he wanted them to adopt, saying that there are essentially two paths after a defeat—either retreat and overthink in private, or stay engaged, learn from what went wrong, and move forward. Hardik also suggested that once the team returned to the hotel, they would share a meal together and talk about cricket, while also finding ways to reset mentally.
On the game itself, Hardik pointed to Mumbai’s inability to manage run flow and keep the opposition in check. He acknowledged that conceding too many runs made the 241-run target a situation where Mumbai were always playing catch-up. He further reflected that in recent outings, MI have often ended up chasing the match rather than setting the tempo, whether as a bowling unit or even with the bat. Hardik said the franchise now needs to reassess multiple aspects, adding that with a couple of days before their next fixture, they will review where changes can be made across roles and combinations.
He also hinted that tactical clarity may be required, mentioning that even when MI have won the toss in some matches, results have not followed the expected pattern. Hardik stressed that the team must adapt to the conditions, and if the pitch offers an opportunity, they should consider batting as well. Above all, he emphasised the fundamentals that still need to improve—batting with intent and bowling with discipline—while the side works to regain the “momentum” and “click” necessary to turn performances around.
With Mumbai sliding to a third consecutive defeat, the skipper’s message was clear: introspection is needed, along with potential adjustments in approach, as the franchise looks to arrest its slide in IPL 2026.
