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Hardik Pandya Admits MI Not Living Up to Standards After SRH Loss Despite 243

Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya admitted the team has not lived up to the franchise's standards after their six-wicket defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad, despite scoring 243 runs batting first. Ryan Rickelton smashed an unbeaten 123 off 55 balls to power MI to 243/5, but SRH chased it down with eight balls remaining thanks to Travis Head (76) and Heinrich Klaasen (65*). The loss was MI's sixth in eight matches this IPL season, leaving them in ninth place on the points table. Pandya backed his bowlers despite a poor performance, noting that missed chances like Naman Dhir's dropped catch of Head have hurt the team.

Key Points: Hardik Pandya: MI Not Living Up to Standards After 243-Run Loss

  • MI scored 243/5 but lost to SRH by 6 wickets
  • Ryan Rickelton hit 123* off 55 balls
  • Travis Head scored 76 off 30 balls for SRH
  • MI have lost 6 of 8 matches in IPL 2026
3 min read

"We've not been able to do what Mumbai Indians stand for": Hardik Pandya after MI's loss to SRH despite scoring 243 runs batting first

Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya says the team has not been able to do what the franchise stands for, after SRH chased down 243 with 8 balls left in IPL 2026.

"We have not been able to do what exactly the Mumbai Indians stand for - Hardik Pandya"

Mumbai, April 30

Hardik Pandya, captain of the Mumbai Indians, said the team fell short collectively of the standards the franchise represents, after their six-wicket defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad despite scoring 243 in the first innings in their Indian Premier League 2026 match at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday.

Mumbai Indians, on the back of a powerful 55-ball unbeaten 123-run knock off the bat of Ryan Rickelton, scored 243/5 in 20 overs after electing to bat first. However, SRH, with the help of Travis Head (76 off 30 balls), Heinrich Klaasen (65* off 30 balls), Abhishek Sharma (45 off 24 balls) and Salil Arora (30* off 10 balls) chased down the massive total with eight balls remaining.

The loss came as the sixth defeat in eight matches of the IPL 2026 so far.

After the match, Hardik Pandya admitted the team hasn't performed to the standards of the Mumbai Indians, stressing the need to identify areas for improvement while remaining confident that the team will find solutions with the support of its management and staff.

"I think as an overall unit, we have not been able to do what exactly the Mumbai Indians stand for. We really need to see what all we need to work on, and it's fine. I think we have passionate owners, we have passionate support staff. We always figure out something," Pandya said at the post-match presentations.

MI bowlers received some beating at the hands of SRH batters as none of them went for anything less than 10 runs per over. Notably, the ever-reliable Jasprit Bumrah registered figures of 0/54 in 4 overs.

Pandya admitted the bowlers failed to execute despite a strong total, acknowledging that while SRH played well, MI also delivered poor balls. He backed his bowlers, refusing to blame them, and said missed chances have hurt the team in a tough season.

Notably, MI's Naman Dhir dropped the catch of Travis Head when the batter was playing on 2 off 4 balls.

"They played some good shots, and we bowled bad balls. I enjoyed and had fun on the ground today. 244 - I will back my bowlers to stop it. But we could not execute. Enjoyed bowling, barring the last three balls, but enjoyed myself. Been that kind of a season. You get chances, you grab them. If you don't, it hurts you. This season, we don't have many options. I won't put my bowlers under the bus," Pandya said.

With the loss, MI find themselves languishing in ninth place in the IPL points table, while SRH are third with 12 points from nine matches.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

A
Ananya R
Honestly, the dropped catch of Travis Head at 2 runs changed the entire match. Naman Dhir must be feeling terrible. In T20s, those small moments decide the outcome. But credit to SRH - they played fearless cricket and chased a monster total. That's what IPL is all about! 🏏
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Vikram M
Hardik's captaincy has been questionable this season. He keeps saying "we'll figure it out" but the same mistakes keep happening match after match. MI's bowling attack looks toothless without a proper spinner in these conditions. A team with 5 IPL trophies should not be languishing at 9th place. Time for some tough decisions in the auction next year.
S
Siddharth J
That was some insane hitting by Travis Head and Klaasen! 💥 As a neutral fan, I loved every bit of that chase. But as someone who respects MI's legacy, it's sad to see them struggle like this. Rickelton's 123* was a masterclass - shame it came in a losing cause. This is why T20 is the best format - nothing is safe!
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Priya S
I appreciate Hardik not throwing his bowlers under the bus, but at some point accountability is needed. You can't keep saying "we'll find solutions" when you're losing 6 out of 8 matches. Maybe the management needs to look at the bowling coach as well. MI's scouting used to be legendary - where are the next Bumrah, Malinga, or Pollard?
K
Kavya N
SRH's batting depth is incredible! From Head to Klaasen to Sal

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