'Bowling group not up to the mark': Hardik Pandya's direct take after defeat against RR
Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya squarely blamed his bowlers for their 27-run IPL loss to Rajasthan Royals. Pandya highlighted the unit's failure to execute plans, conceding too many boundaries early on, which allowed RR's openers to dominate. Despite a strong performance from young Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, MI's batting faltered, leading to the defeat.
Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya pointed fingers at his bowling unit after their 27-run defeat to Rajasthan Royals in a rain-curtailed 11-overs-a-side IPL 2026 clash at the ACA Stadium. Opting to bowl first, Mumbai failed to make early inroads as Rajasthan’s openers, Yashasvi Jaiswal and teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, launched a brutal assault. The duo powered RR to a flying start, smashing 56 runs in just 3.
2 overs of the Power-play. Jaiswal remained unbeaten on 77 off 32 balls, while Sooryavanshi contributed a quickfire 39 off 14, helping Rajasthan post a daunting 150/3 in 11 overs. Chasing 151, Mumbai’s batting line-up crumbled under pressure.
Reduced to 46/5 early on, they never recovered and finished at 123/9, falling short by 27 runs. Hardik Pandya blames the bowling unit Speaking after the match, Pandya admitted the bowlers failed to execute their plans. He emphasised that the unit conceded too many boundaries in the initial overs, allowing RR to take control of the game.
"We did not execute the deliveries we were supposed to. They played well. Bowlers need to take responsibility.