Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Hardik Pandya opened up about his team's loss to Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Monday, May 26. On account of this loss, MI failed to seal the top-two berth in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) season. Inserted to bat first, MI posted a challenging total of 185 runs, however, Pandya felt his team was 20 runs short as the pitch in Jaipur remained flat throughout the match.
Led by blistering fifties by Priyansh Arya and Josh Inglis, PBKS easily aced the run-chase with seven wickets in hand and nine balls to spare. Inglis was first to attack from the word go, and later, the young Arya showed why he is rated so highly by matching the Aussie stroke for stroke.
"The way wicket played, we were 20 runs short. That happens. We've been playing really good cricket, but we couldn't play our best cricket, which cost us a lot. IPL is like that. This franchise has won five trophies, and it has always been tough," Hardik Pandya said in the post-match presentation.
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"We could have capitalized either at the start or in the middle, we'll figure it out. I back Ashwani, and we back Ashwani. That has been the plan throughout the season. We have played with the leggie and the quick. Today, on this wicket, we felt that it'll work, that's fine."
Hardik Pandya rues lack of runs, & poor bowling against PBKS for the loss
Hardik Pandya also stated that the flat pitches throughout the 40 overs in Jaipur did not help bowlers bowl tight line and length. The all-rounder said batters should have batted ruthlessly at the top so that the total could have been more that 220 runs.
"(Did batting get better in the second half?) It would be the same, I don't think much difference. They really played good cricket; the second wicket stand was outstanding for those two batters. They took on certain balls whenever we erred, and I don't think as a bowling unit we were clinical, we gave some balls which they capitalized, and at certain times, they played some good shots as well," he added.
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By beating MI, PBKS ensured they would finish in the top two of the IPL 2025 Points Table. The Shreyas Iyer-led side will now play Qualifier 1 on Thursday, May 29.
