Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Hardik Pandya took the blame for the loss of his team in the Qualifier 2 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 against the Punjab Kings (PBKS).
Hardik Pandya also lashed out at his bowlers for not bowling the right lengths at the right time in the match that started on June 1 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Also Read: Hardik Pandya, Shreyas Iyer brutally punished by BCCI after MI's loss to PBKS in Qualifier 2
MI, the 5-time champions, have not won a title in the Indian Premier League since 2020 and despite doing a change in leadership and bringing Hardik Pandya at the helm, the franchise is yet to taste success.
In IPL 2025, there were big hopes for a title win, especially because of the turnaround that the Mumbai Indians produced after a slow start. They played a stunning brand of cricket to make it to the playoffs and even won the Eliminator against the Gujarat Titans brilliantly.
However, they were unable to progress further and lost to the Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab Kings in Qualifier 2 despite starting well in the game. Mumbai Indians posted a big score of 203/6 on the board and had history on their side, with 19 out of 19 wins after setting up 200-plus targets.
But Shreyas Iyer's Punjab Kings were determined for the victory and they rewrote history books by shattering MI's record and chasing down the target with 5 wickets in hand and 6 balls remaining.
I take the blame - Hardik Pandya
Speaking after the match, Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya lauded Shreyas Iyer for his unbeaten 87-run batting masterclass and took the blame for the loss. He said:
"I take the blame. The way Shreyas batted, took his chances and some of the shots he played were really outstanding. I think they definitely batted really well."
Hardik Pandya said that they posted a good total, but the bowling unit failed to execute the plans and defend it. He said:
"I think it was par, but it needed some great execution as a bowling unit which I think in these big games it really matters. And as I mentioned they were really calm, put us under pressure and I think we were not able to execute the way we wanted."
He can do something special and it just didn't happen today - Hardik Pandya
While further blaming himself, Hardik Pandya said that he could have used his troops in a better manner. He said:
"I'll not put it on the wicket, if we had to do something better it was to bowl right lengths, or bowl the right bowler at the right time. I'm someone who likes to take it all on me, and maybe I could have managed my troops a little better."
In the end, Hardik said that the pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was unable to showcase then magic in the all-important Qualifier 2. He said:
"In hindsight, it would have been different (whether he should have bowled Bumrah with 41 needed of 4 overs) and it would have been too early as well, Boom knowing the situation if even 18 balls are left Jassi can be Jassi and he can do something special and it just didn't happen today."
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