Hardik Pandya at the post-match conference (Screengrab/X) Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya pointed the finger at his bowling unit after their 27 defeat against Rajasthan Royals in the rain-curtailed 11-over-a-side IPL 2026 encounter at the ACA Stadium.Opting to bat first, Mumbai failed to break through in time as Rajasthan’s openers, Yashasvi Jaiswal and teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, launched a brutal onslaught. The pair powered RR to a flying start, smashing 56 runs in just 3.2 overs of the Power-play. Jaiswal remained unbeaten on 77 off 32 balls while Sooryavanshi contributed a quickfire 39 off 14 to help Rajasthan post a daunting 150/3 in 11 overs.Chasing 151, Mumbai’s batting line-up crumbled under pressure. They were soon reduced to 46/5, never recovered and finished on 123/9, 27 runs behind.Hardik Pandya blames the bowling unitAfter the match, Pandya admitted that the bowlers did not execute their plans. He pointed out that the unit conceded too many boundaries in the opening overs, which allowed RR to take control of the game.“We didn’t execute the deliveries we had. They bowled well. The bowlers have to take responsibility. We were not up to par as a bowling group. They also bowled amazingly,” Pandya said in the post-match presentation.Pandya said he will not blame his batsmen for not scoring enough in the power play. “I wouldn’t put the blame on the batting. Definitely the bowling unit that had to take responsibility. It’s always about hitting those good balls. If we had done that we would have been in the game. Their openers threw us off our game and we played catch up,” he added.Asked about RR’s teenage batting sensation, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Pandya said: “Quite fascinating to see a 17- or 16-year-old boy (15-year-old) play like that. Amazing to see the way he bats, the fearlessness he has. I wish him the best of luck for the future.”Pandya refused to be disappointed by the result and said he would learn from his mistakes. “Just learn from your mistakes. Tomorrow morning will come, the sun will rise, prepare well for the next game,” he said.Another match for Mumbai IndiansMumbai Indians will next face Royal Challengers Bengaluru at their home ground, the Wankhede Stadium. While Mumbai have historically dominated the venue with eight wins over Bengaluru, RCB go into the clash confident as the defending champions, having won four of their last six encounters against MI.
