'Couldn't play our best cricket': Hardik Pandya admits MI's shortcomings
What's the story
Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya has admitted that his team fell short by around 20 runs in their recent match against Punjab Kings (PBKS).
The match, played at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, saw PBKS chase down MI's target of 185 with more than an over to spare.
This defeat prevented MI from securing a top-two spot in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) points table.
Admission
Pandya acknowledges team's underperformance
Pandya, in his post-match presentation, said that the team had been playing good cricket but couldn't play their best on the day.
He said, "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."
He further added that this is how IPL works and it's always tough for this franchise which has won five trophies.
Strategy support
Pandya backs Ashwani in team's strategy
Pandya also backed the inclusion of Ashwani Kumar as an Impact player. The uncapped left-arm pacer bowled a solitary over in the game and went for 16 runs.
He said, "I back Ashwani and we back Ashwani. That has been the plan throughout the season."
The MI captain also noted that batting conditions remained pretty much the same throughout the match and praised PBKS's batsmen for their second-wicket partnership and capitalizing on bowling errors.
Playoff position
PBKS's victory secures top-two finish
The win over MI has secured PBKS a top-two finish in the points table. This is only the second time in their history that they have reached this stage, the first being in 2014.
The defeat also means that MI will have to play Eliminator.
Pandya stressed on learning from this experience and focusing on upcoming knockout matches while praising his bowlers for their consistent performance throughout the season.