Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya admitted that his team’s performance in the ongoing IPL season has been very poor, especially as their poor bowling and fielding efforts have seen matches slip away from them. He couldn’t hold back from praising the Shreyas Iyer-led team for their stellar performance in all three departments of the game.
Mumbai Indians started with a win in the first match of the season. They lost the second match against Mumbai Indians and then lost three more matches in the season. After four consecutive defeats, Mumbai is now at the bottom of the table with just 2 points.
In contrast, Punjab Kings won their fourth match of the season and are the only undefeated team so far in the competition. The Kings are now on top of the table and Shreyas Iyer is once again leading by example.
A glimpse of MI’s performance with both bat and ball at Wankhede
Mumbai Indians have not had a very good season with the ball, but their batsmen have provided them consistent support. In the absence of Rohit Sharma in this game, South African legend Quinton de Kock returned to MI colours.
Quinton de Kock scored a century in his IPL comeback for Mumbai Indians, while Naman Dheer also supported him with a half-century. However, Mumbai batsmen could only score 195 runs in their 20 overs.
On the bowling front, Allah Ghazanfar took two wickets early in the powerplay; However, Shreyas Iyer and Prabhsimran Singh’s massive partnership of 139 runs helped them take the innings forward. They chased the huge target with 7 wickets and 21 balls remaining.
These are some sharp questions which ultimately- Hardik Pandya
“To be honest, I don’t have much to say right now. I think we really need to go back to the drawing board and see where we are lacking. Is it as individuals? Is it as a group? Is it in terms of planning? We will just figure it out and see what we can do next,” Hardik Pandya humbly admitted his team’s huge shortcomings.
After this, Hardik Pandya told how Mumbai Indians players are behind their opponents in every field. Hardik Pandya further added, “I think we need to give them credit too. The ball started to reverse. In the second innings, the dew came and it got a little better, but having said that, they outplayed us. They bowled better, they batted better, they fielded better, definitely and that tells us again.”
Hardik Pandya further said that some tough decisions need to be taken, “No, I think we need to see, do we need to take some tough decisions or do we need to continue and hope that we turn things around? These are some tough questions that ultimately we need to answer, and yes, take ownership.”
MI’s irreparable concerns in IPL 2026
Mumbai Indians have faced some big concerns. One of their biggest concerns in the IPL is the poor form of MI’s bowlers, who have struggled to take wickets in the innings. Even after playing 5 matches in the season, great bowler Jasprit Bumrah has not got any wicket.
On the other hand, another irreparable concern from the team will be the absence of the form of Hardik Pandya, who has failed to provide a promising finishing touch at the last end. On the other hand, he has been giving away runs despite failing to take wickets.
Another big concern of his is that even the most experienced names like Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur have failed to make a positive impact in the game. It will not be easy to get rid of Mumbai’s worries.
Also Read: IPL Points Table 2026: Updated Standings, Orange Cap, Purple Cap after MI vs PBKS Match 24
