Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya singled out his bowlers after a 27-run defeat to Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026 on Tuesday, insisting that the bowling unit needed to shoulder more responsibility. The loss, which marked MI’s second consecutive defeat, saw RR openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi dominate the innings, with Jaiswal top-scoring with an unbeaten 77 as the Royals posted 150/3 in an 11-over-a-side match. MI’s response fell short at 123/9, with Pandya making it clear that the batters had done their part but the bowlers failed to execute their plans effectively.

Speaking after the game, Pandya emphasized that the defeat was primarily down to the bowling performance rather than the batting. “I would not put this game on the batting. This was definitely the bowling unit which had to take responsibility,” he said. He noted that in T20 cricket, executing a few key deliveries can make all the difference and that the margin of 27 runs reflected missed opportunities in just a handful of balls.

Pandya further explained that the early overs set the tone for the match, with RR’s openers “throwing us out of the game” and leaving MI constantly trying to catch up. Despite some valiant efforts later in the innings, the bowling lapses in the opening overs proved costly. He stressed that maintaining discipline in the powerplay is crucial in short-format games, and MI fell short in this regard.

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The performance of MI’s frontline bowlers came under scrutiny, with Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Shardul Thakur, and Deepak Chahar collectively taking just one wicket while struggling with economy rates above 10 runs per over. Pandya himself managed to contain the damage better but acknowledged that the rest of the bowling attack failed to deliver under pressure.

“We didn’t execute the deliveries we were supposed to. They played well, but I think our bowlers need to take responsibility,” Pandya added. He was critical of the overall bowling group, stating that they were “not up to the mark” and that RR capitalised on their shortcomings by playing excellent cricket. The skipper’s candid remarks highlight the urgency for MI to improve their bowling consistency ahead of upcoming matches.

With the defeat, Mumbai Indians face mounting pressure to regain momentum in IPL 2026. Hardik Pandya’s remarks suggest a focus on accountability and tighter execution, particularly in the bowling department. The team will now look to bounce back in their next game while addressing the gaps exposed by RR’s dominant performance, as they aim to remain competitive in the tournament standings.

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