Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya admitted he wasn\u2019t 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\u2014an 18-run defeat\u2014didn\u2019t fully reflect how much of the chase they struggled through.<\/p>\n
After the match, Pandya refused to hide behind excuses and acknowledged that the team hasn\u2019t been carrying momentum in either department. He said MI have spent too much time trying to catch up rather than setting the tone\u2014whether as bowlers or as batters\u2014and stressed the need for reflection and improvement to find the \u201cclick\u201d they require.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it was always going to be a chase where we were trying to catch up. In the last couple of games\u2014both as a bowling unit and even as a batting unit\u2014we\u2019ve 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,\u201d Pandya said following their third straight loss.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, 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\u2014especially when we\u2019re thinking about making changes or assessing what this team needs. We can definitely rely on what he\u2019s doing with the bat,\u201d Pandya said. He also contributed with 40 off 22 deliveries in the same chase.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s bowling execution did not live up to what was required, wiping out any comfort gained from the decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo be very honest, a lot of things need to be rethought. It\u2019s not working at the moment. We\u2019ve won the toss in a couple of games, but maybe we need to look at what other options are there\u2014both 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,\u201d Pandya said.<\/p>\n
With the team\u2019s recent form under scrutiny, MI\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince the last couple of days, a lot of options will be asked and thrown around. We\u2019ll see what we can do in the next game,\u201d Pandya concluded.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya admitted he wasn\u2019t pleased with how his side has been performing in recent matches of the 2026 Indian Premier League.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2284,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Hardik Pandya on MI Struggles After RCB IPL Loss","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Hardik Pandya reacts to Mumbai Indians\u2019 third straight IPL defeat, addressing the chase collapse and demanding urgent changes after the RCB loss.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2285","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n