'Not the season': Hardik Pandya expresses discontent after CSK beat MI

NEW DELHI: Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya admitted IPL 2026 has simply not gone according to program aft MI slumped to an eight-wicket decision against Chennai Super Kings astatine the MA Chidambaram Stadium connected Saturday.“Not the season. They played better, they bowled better, they fielded amended and they batted better.

180-190 should person been a bully total. We couldn't get the momentum. It was much astir playing calculative cricket.

Overall, arsenic a bowling unit, they were amended and arsenic a batting unit, we weren't better. The bowling options which we had, we went with it,” Hardik said aft the loss.

The decision further damaged Mumbai Indians’ fading playoff hopes arsenic they suffered their seventh nonaccomplishment of the season. Despite winning the flip and choosing to bat first, MI ne'er genuinely gained power of the lucifer and finished with a below-par 159 for 7.Naman Dhir was the lone agleam spot for Mumbai with a warring 57 disconnected 37 balls, portion

Ryan Rickelton

added 37 astatine the top. However, skipper Hardik struggled for fluency, managing conscionable 18 runs from 23 deliveries arsenic MI repeatedly mislaid momentum during the mediate overs.CSK’s bowling onslaught kept things choky passim the innings. Afghanistan spinner Noor Ahmad starred with figures of 2/26, portion Anshul Kamboj impressed with 3/32. Chennai besides produced crisp enactment successful the field, highlighted by

IPL

debutant Ramakrishna Ghosh’s stunning diving drawback to disregard Will Jacks early.

In reply, CSK made the pursuit look comfortable. Although Sanju Samson fell aboriginal to Jasprit Bumrah, skipper

Ruturaj Gaikwad

anchored the innings superbly with an unbeaten 67 disconnected 48 balls. Young batter Kartik Sharma provided beardown enactment with a composed 54 not out, portion Urvil Patel’s speedy 24 helped support the momentum.The unbeaten 98-run concern betwixt Gaikwad and Sharma guided Chennai location with 11 balls to spare and importantly boosted CSK’s playoff chances, portion MI’s run present hangs by the thinnest of threads.