• Source:JND

MI vs RR IPL 2026: Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya absorbed the blow as they stumbled in their last group stage match, wrapping up the season at ninth after notching four wins and suffering ten defeats.

On Sunday in Mumbai, the Riyan Parag-led side, battling for a playoff spot, seized the opportunity to bat first. Despite tumbling into a batting collapse, they hammered a formidable 205-run target. The hosts clawed at the chase but faltered repeatedly, eventually crashing to a 30-run defeat and ending their stint on a sour note.

Pandya, who has been slammed throughout this year, commanded attention during the post-match presentation. His body language betrayed little emotion, even as he captained a squad that suffered ten defeats this season.

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"I think [MI gave away] 10-15 runs more. It was quite hot as well, and the bowlers did a pretty good job. It was chaseable, we just lost a lot of wickets in the power play, and then it was always a catch-up game," Hardik Pandya was heard as saying at the post-match presentation ceremony.

Pandya came good with the bat! That probably explains

He unleashed sublime form in his quickfire knock, smashing 34 off just 15 balls and dismantling RR’s bowlers. That’s why he brushed off any guilt—he sparkled with a brilliant performance.

"When I went to bat, it felt like it was coming on nicely. It [the pitch] played similarly in both innings. It was coming onto the bat. Just had to hold your shape and play good cricketing shots. Death overs are always difficult, and I always believe that if you can stop 1-2 boundaries in that 5-overs bracket, the opposition will always be 12-15 runs short. Unfortunately, we could not do that. 73 in the last 5 cost us the game as well," he added.

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He didn't bowl a single ball during the match, although he did stretch for a while. After being asked whether anything was wrong with him, he dismissed any negative thoughts. "Everything is fine. I bat, I bowl, I field, I skip [skipper, he meant], so it's okay, it's fair for me to have a game where I just batted and enjoyed myself," he added.

That’s how Pandya showcased his confidence. He attacked brilliantly with the bat. But his future as team leader remains uncertain. In three years at the helm of the Mumbai franchise, he steered them through an average run: finishing 10th in IPL 2024, qualifying for last year’s playoffs, and landing ninth this season.

But even after all this, he needed to express some remorse following another disappointing campaign.


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