"Cost Us The Game": MI Captain Hardik Pandya Points Out Reason Behind Loss To RR
Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Hardik Pandya said his side's inability to control the final overs and the early loss of wickets in the powerplay proved costly.
Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Hardik Pandya said his side's inability to control the final overs and the early loss of wickets in the powerplay proved costly as they went down by 30 runs against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday. With the win, RR moved to 16 points, overtaking Punjab Kings (PBKS) and confirming their playoff berth against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator at Mullanpur. Meanwhile, MI finished ninth with eight points from four wins.
Reflecting on the defeat, Pandya admitted that the target was within reach, but Mumbai fell behind after a poor start with the bat.
"I think 10-15 runs (more we gave with the ball). It was quite hot as well, but we did a pretty good job. It was chaseable; we just lost a lot of wickets in the powerplay, and then it was always a catch-up game. When I went to bat, it felt like it was coming on nicely. It played similarly in both innings (the pitch). It was coming on to the bat. Just had to hold your shape and play good cricketing shots," Pandya said.
He further highlighted the decisive impact of Rajasthan's death-over acceleration, pointing to Mumbai's inability to restrict boundaries in the final phase.
"Death overs are always difficult, and I always believe that if you can stop 1-2 boundaries in that five-over bracket, you'll always be 12-15 runs short. Unfortunately, we could not do that. 73 in the last five overs cost us the game as well. Everything is fine (when asked about the stretching he was doing). I bat, I bowl, I field, I skip, so it's okay, it's fair for me to have a game where I just batted and enjoyed myself," he added.
Batting first, RR posted a strong 205/8, boosted by late contributions from Jofra Archer and Ravindra Jadeja after a mixed start. MI's bowlers, including Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur, picked up crucial wickets to keep them in check.
In reply, MI suffered early blows as Archer and Nandre Burger dismantled the top order, reducing them to 49/4 in the powerplay. Despite a fighting half-century from Suryakumar Yadav and a quick 34 from Hardik Pandya, MI kept losing wickets at regular intervals.
Archer starred with the ball as well, taking 3/17, while RR bowlers collectively restricted MI to 175/9 in 20 overs, sealing a comprehensive win.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Mumbai Indians
Hardik Pandya