Following a crushing 27-run defeat to the Rajasthan Royals in a rain-curtailed IPL 2026 encounter in Guwahati, Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya did not hold back in his assessment of the team’s performance.
On Wednesday, April 8, 2026, Pandya pointed the finger squarely at his bowling unit, calling for immediate accountability after they conceded a massive 150 runs in just 11 overs. Despite the presence of stalwarts like Jasprit Bumrah, the MI attack was dismantled by the left-handed duo of Yashasvi Jaiswal and 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, a performance that left the skipper visibly unimpressed.
Pandya emphasized that the target was too steep for the batting lineup to chase under the circumstances, forcing them into high-risk shots from the opening delivery. “I think we did not execute the deliveries which we were supposed to,” Pandya stated during the post-match presentation. He noted that the margin of defeat—27 runs—essentially came down to just five poor deliveries that went for sixes. “As a bowling group, we were not at all up to the mark. This was the bowling unit which had to take responsibility,” he added, shielding his batters from the brunt of the criticism.
The match served as a historic stage for young Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who smashed 39 off 14 balls, including two sixes off Bumrah, earning a salute from commentator Harbhajan Singh.
While the Royals celebrated their explosive opening partnership of 80 runs in five overs, Mumbai Indians are now grappling with their second consecutive loss. The pressure is mounting on the five-time champions to find their rhythm as the mid-season scramble for the playoffs intensifies in this high-scoring edition of the IPL.