After Mumbai Indians suffered a 12-run defeat at the hands of Lucknow Super Giants in the 16th match of IPL 2025, skipper Hardik Pandya admitted that the team let the game slip away both on the field and with the bat. He was candid in his assessment, highlighting the 10–15 runs conceded unnecessarily on the field and took full responsibility for the batting unit’s underperformance.
“It has been disappointing when you lose. If we have to be honest, on the field, we gave away 10–15 runs on that wicket,” said Pandya during the post-match presentation.
“I think as a batting unit, we fell short. We win as a team. We lose as a team. Don’t want to point someone out. The ownership has to be taken by the whole batting unit. I take full ownership.”
Pandya also spoke about his bowling strategy, stating that he doesn’t bowl for wickets but focuses on dot balls and forcing mistakes. He finished with excellent figures of 2/12 in 2 overs, dismissing both Nicholas Pooran and Rishabh Pant.
Looking ahead, the MI skipper emphasized the need for smarter calls and aggressive but simple cricket:
“Take better calls. Be smart in bowling. Take chances in batting. Play simple cricket with some aggression. As it is a long tournament, a couple of wins and we might get into the rhythm.”
Mumbai Indians now face pressure to bounce back after yet another away loss, while LSG will be buoyed by their clinical performance.
