Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya admitted he wasn’t pleased with how his side has been performing in recent matches of the 2026 Indian Premier League. Playing at the Wankhede Stadium in front of their home crowd on Sunday night, MI suffered their third consecutive loss. Despite chasing a stiff target of 241, the franchise could only reach 222/5, and Pandya felt the margin—an 18-run defeat—didn’t fully reflect how much of the chase they struggled through.
Third straight defeat: what Pandya said
After the match, Pandya refused to hide behind excuses and acknowledged that the team hasn’t been carrying momentum in either department. He said MI have spent too much time trying to catch up rather than setting the tone—whether as bowlers or as batters—and stressed the need for reflection and improvement to find the “click” they require.
“I think it was always going to be a chase where we were trying to catch up. In the last couple of games—both as a bowling unit and even as a batting unit—we’ve been playing catch-up instead of controlling the game. We really need to reflect and figure out what we can do best, and how we can build the momentum and the sharpness we need,” Pandya said following their third straight loss.
Rutherford’s bright spot as MI fall short
In a defeat where MI struggled for long stretches in the second half of their innings, Sherfane Rutherford stood out as the key positive. He finished unbeaten on 71 off just 31 balls, striking one four and nine sixes. Pandya singled him out as a player who could provide real value in the matches ahead.
“Yes, when we got Rutherford, it was always exciting. We knew the kind of potential and the power he has, and the way he bats. It gives us extra cushion, and at the same time confidence—especially when we’re thinking about making changes or assessing what this team needs. We can definitely rely on what he’s doing with the bat,” Pandya said. He also contributed with 40 off 22 deliveries in the same chase.
Captain’s view: toss advantage not enough
Pandya also addressed the match situation and the role of the toss. On Sunday, he won the toss and elected to put RCB into bat. However, MI’s bowling execution did not live up to what was required, wiping out any comfort gained from the decision.
“To be very honest, a lot of things need to be rethought. It’s not working at the moment. We’ve won the toss in a couple of games, but maybe we need to look at what other options are there—both with the batting group and the bowling group we can field. We still need to bat well, and we still need to bowl well, regardless of the toss,” Pandya said.
What’s next for Mumbai Indians
With the team’s recent form under scrutiny, MI’s schedule offers little time to recover. After this loss, they will take on Punjab Kings, who are yet to lose in the league so far, next Thursday. Pandya indicated that the coming days will be focused on discussion and planning specific ways to challenge PBKS.
“Since the last couple of days, a lot of options will be asked and thrown around. We’ll see what we can do in the next game,” Pandya concluded.
