IPL 2026: Hardik Pandya rues MI allowing RR escape from 119/5 in 30-run defeat

Mumbai, May 24 (IANS) Conceding 73 runs in the last five overs cost Mumbai Indians the match, said skipper Hardik Pandya after the five-time champions fell short by 30 runs against Rajasthan Royals in Match 69 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. 

Mumbai had claimed the prolific and aggressive Rajasthan openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi cheaply and had them on the ropes at 119/5. But Jofra Archer played a brilliant cameo, hitting three sixes in his 15-ball 32, and with help from Ravindra Jadeja (19* off 11) and Nandre Burger (10* off 3), helped Rajasthan Royals post a challenging 205/8 in 20 overs.

Archer returned to claim 3-17 in four brilliant overs while Nandre Burger (2-43), Brijesh Sharma (2-26), Yash Raj Punja (2-44) claimed a brace each as Rajasthan Royals restricted MI to 195/9 and won the match by 30 runs despite a fighting 60 by Suryakumar Yadav and vital cotributions by Will Jacks (33) and Pandya (32) himself.

Pandya said allowing RR to score heavily in the last five overs and losing early wickets hampered their chase as the five-time champions ended their campaign with eight points from 14 matches and ended in second last position in the 10-team points table.

"We gave away 10-15 too many. It was chaseable, but we lost too many early wickets. Wicket played similarly in both innings; you had to hold your shape and hit good cricketing shots to get value.

Pandya said things would have been different if they had stopped one or two boundaries in the last five overs.

"(Bowling in) Last five overs are always difficult. If you can stop one/two boundaries, you can keep teams 12-15 runs short. Conceding 73 in the last five cost us too," said Pandya.

The MI skipper said he is feeling fine despite the hectic schedule after the T20 World Cup and enjoyed his batting in this match.

"Body's fine. I bat, bowl, field, and slip. It's fair to have a game where I just batted and enjoyed myself," he said.

It was a forgettable campaign for the Mumbai Indians overall as they failed to perform to their potential both with the bat and ball.

--IANS

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