Hardik Pandya admitted Mumbai Indians have not been performing to the franchise\u2019s own expectations after a painful six-wicket loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium. The defeat pushed MI to the ninth spot in the IPL 2026 standings, with just two wins from eight matches.<\/p>\n
The match began like it was destined to end in a comfortable home victory. Mumbai posted 243\/5, powered by Ryan Rickelton\u2019s century and meaningful contributions during the middle phases of the innings. However, Sunrisers Hyderabad turned the chase into one of the sharpest performances of the campaign, reaching 249\/4 in 18.4 overs.<\/p>\n
Travis Head set the tone with a devastating 76 off 30 balls, shifting the required run-rate firmly in SRH\u2019s favour. Heinrich Klaasen then remained unbeaten to close out the chase with eight balls still left, completing the job with clinical control.<\/p>\n
Speaking after the game, Hardik Pandya did not single out the bowling unit, even though Mumbai failed to defend one of the highest totals of the season. He framed the setback as a wider issue for the team rather than placing blame on any one group.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think this season, we don\u2019t have much options. I don\u2019t want to put my bowlers under the bus. As an overall unit, we haven\u2019t been able to do what Mumbai Indians stand for. We have passionate owners. We have passionate support staff,\u201d Hardik said.<\/p>\n
His comments highlighted the depth of MI\u2019s struggle. Despite being five-time champions, the side have been unable to build consistent momentum across departments. The bowling has repeatedly conceded runs at key stages, and several strong batting efforts have not been converted into wins.<\/p>\n
The context made the result even more difficult to absorb. A total of 243 is usually enough to win in T20 cricket, particularly at Wankhede. Yet SRH chased it down with authority, underlining MI\u2019s inability to manage the game once the opposition took charge of the chase.<\/p>\n
Hardik also addressed the mood inside the stadium, where parts of the crowd were heard chanting opposition players\u2019 names during the chase. He acknowledged the frustration, while urging the team to give supporters more reasons to celebrate.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes. I think we haven\u2019t given them much opportunity to back us. They have been fantastic. They have been loyal. It hurts a bit when they come out and chant the opposition\u2019s players\u2019 names. But we need to entertain more to get back the love,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
With MI sitting close to the bottom after eight matches, the gap between the franchise\u2019s reputation and its current output has become increasingly visible. For Hardik, the direction now is clear: Mumbai need to start winning consistently to keep their playoff chances alive, and they will also have to produce stronger performances\u2014especially at Wankhede\u2014where fans are used to victories more than they are to applauding the opposition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hardik Pandya admitted Mumbai Indians have not been performing to the franchise\u2019s own expectations after a painful six-wicket loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":6330,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Hardik Pandya Reacts as MI Falter at Wankhede vs SRH","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Hardik Pandya breaks silence after Mumbai Indians\u2019 Wankhede collapse vs SRH, admitting MI\u2019s struggles as they slip to ninth in IPL 2026.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6331","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n