“Many aspects require reconsideration”: Hardik Pandya delivers frank evaluation following defeat to RCB.

Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya expressed the need for his team to reassess their approach and build momentum after suffering their third straight loss in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Wankhede on Sunday evening.

In pursuit of 241, the home team could only manage 222/5, primarily due to Sherfane Rutherford’s impressive innings of 71.

“I believe we allowed far too many runs to be scored. It was always going to be a matter of catching up. In recent matches, both our bowling and batting units have been playing catch-up instead of setting the pace,” said Pandya following MI’s third defeat of the season, which left them in eighth place on the points table.
RCB currently occupies the third spot in the standings, having secured three victories from their four matches played so far.

Pandya recognized that the existing strategies are not yielding results and emphasized the need for a reevaluation of tactics.

“We have a few days off now… Honestly, many things need to be reconsidered. It’s clearly not working. We have won the toss in a couple of games, but we should explore what alternatives are available for both our batting and bowling groups,” he mentioned.

He highlighted the necessity for improvements from both the batting and bowling units, particularly during the powerplay overs.

“Considering how the wicket is performing, if we can bat effectively, that would be beneficial. We still need to execute our game well, with both batting and bowling. If we achieve that, we won’t face problems regardless of the toss.

“That’s our discussion—how to gain momentum during the powerplay. Because currently, in both batting and bowling, we appear to be playing catch-up in those overs.

“We will explore numerous options and see what adjustments can be made for the next match.” Pandya remarked that Rutherford’s innings provided him with the flexibility to alter the lineup.

“Bringing in (Rutherford) was always exciting for us. We were aware of his potential and power.

“His performance gives us added confidence and allows us to consider changes based on the needs of the team, thanks to his batting,” stated Pandya.

MI’s next match is against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the same venue on April 16.

(With PTI inputs)