Mumbai Indians skipper accepts fielding lapses, takes ownership of batting struggles, and explains decision to retire out Tilak Varma during tight IPL 2025 clash.
Lucknow, April 5: Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya admitted that his team missed crucial moments during their 12-run defeat to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in an IPL 2025 fixture on Friday. Speaking after the game, Pandya acknowledged that MI’s fielding and minor tactical errors tilted the game in the host’s favor.
“Disappointing when you lose. If we had to be honest, in the field, 10-12 runs we gave too much. We fell short in the end,” Pandya said, pointing out how those extra runs proved costly, according to ESPNcricinfo.
Despite the loss, Pandya had a standout day with the ball, registering his maiden IPL five-wicket haul. He returned with figures of 5/36 and bowled with precision, showing glimpses of his old self.
“Always enjoyed my bowling. I don’t have many options but I read the wicket and use smarter options. I never go for wickets, but I try to make batters make mistakes. Today was one of those days,” the MI skipper explained.
Pandya didn’t shy away from taking responsibility for the team’s batting collapse, admitting that the batting unit failed to chase down the 204-run target.
“As a batting unit, we fell short. We win as a team, we lose as a team. I take full ownership,” he said.
A major talking point in the match was the unexpected decision to retire out Tilak Varma, who was batting on 25 from 23 balls at a crucial stage in the 19th over. Pandya addressed the move, saying, “We needed some hits, he was not getting those. In cricket some of those days come, when you try but they don’t come.”
With this defeat, MI continue to search for consistency in IPL 2025. However, Pandya remained optimistic about the season ahead.
“Just play good cricket, I like to keep it simple. Take better calls, be smart in bowling, take chances in batting. It is a long tournament, you get a couple of wins and get into the rhythm,” he concluded.
Mumbai Indians will look to bounce back quickly and gain momentum as the league progresses.