Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya took responsibility for his team's third consecutive loss in IPL 2024, acknowledging he needed to contribute more with the bat.
“Yes, a tough night, we didn’t start the way we wanted to start. I wanted to counter, we were in a decent position to get us around 150-160, but my wicket allowed them to get back more into the game, I needed to do a lot more,” the MI skipper said.
Pandya expressed surprise at the pitch's behaviour, which favoured the bowlers more than anticipated. He emphasized the need for discipline and courage as a team moving forward.
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“It’s okay, we didn’t expect such a surface, but you can’t always have it as a batter, it’s nice at times for the bowlers to have a say. It’s all about doing the right things, (correct) Results happen at times, at some other times it doesn’t. As a group, we believe we can do a lot better, but we need to be a bit more disciplined and show a lot more courage,” he added.
The Rajasthan Royals defeated the Mumbai Indians by six wickets at Wankhede Stadium on Monday. Mumbai's batting woes continued as they were restricted to a meager 125 runs.
After collapsing to 20-4, Pandya (34) and Tilak Varma (32) stitched together a 56-run partnership, offering a glimmer of hope. However, their dismissals at a crucial juncture derailed the innings. Trent Boult and Yuzvendra Chahal were Rajasthan's bowling stars.
Despite taking three early wickets with the ball, Mumbai couldn't capitalize. Riyan Parag's unbeaten knock of 54 runs propelled Rajasthan to a comfortable victory, their third of the season.
Mumbai Indians will look to register their first win of the season when they face Delhi Capitals at Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, April 7.
