“Haven’t lived up to MI standard”: Hardik after SRH chase 244 at Wankhede

The story of this IPL season has been marked by big run chases. From what we have seen so far, even totals above 260 no longer feel safe. Mumbai Indians, once known for a strong bowling attack with players like Malinga, Johnson and Mitchell McClenaghan, are now struggling to put together a unit that can control runs when needed. With only Jasprit Bumrah as a dependable front-line bowler and very little support around him, the season has not been easy for the senior pacer either.

Mumbai Indians, batting first at the Wankhede Stadium, looked to have sealed the game after posting a massive 243 for 5, powered by a record unbeaten 123 off 55 balls from Ryan Rickelton, the fastest century in MI history. He found solid support in Will Jacks (46), while Hardik Pandya chipped in with a quick 31, taking the total to what seemed a safe score. However, Sunrisers Hyderabad turned the chase into a complete takedown, driven by a 129-run opening stand between Travis Head (76 off 30) and Abhishek Sharma (45). Despite a short middle-order dip, Heinrich Klaasen (65 off 30) * and Salil Arora (30* off 10) finished the job comfortably, guiding SRH home with six wickets in hand and eight balls left.

During the chase, captain Hardik Pandya appeared out of ideas, struggling to find any plan to slow down the SRH batters, who scored at over 13 runs per over. Even Jasprit Bumrah, usually the most reliable option, had an off day. He could not find his usual accuracy or yorkers and ended with figures of 0 for 54 in his four overs. When the lead bowler goes for more than 13 runs an over, it reflects the broader issues in a bowling unit that once set the standard in the league.

Addressing the team’s issues, Pandya admitted that the side has not lived up to the standards expected from Mumbai Indians:
"I think as an overall unit, we have not been able to do what exactly the Mumbai Indians stand for. We really need to see what all we need to work on, and it's fine. I think we have passionate owners, we have passionate support staff. We always figure out something."

Despite the loss, Pandya supported his bowlers while accepting that they failed to deliver at key moments:
"They played some good shots, and we bowled bad balls. 244 - I will back my bowlers to stop it. But we could not execute. Been that kind of a season. You get chances, you grab them. If you don't, it hurts you. This season, we don't have many options. I won't put my bowlers under the bus."

Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins, meanwhile, said that in today’s IPL, no total feels out of reach:

"Knowing our batting line-up and the pitch... I thought it was chaseable. Now, even 12 an over, you can chase as a batting unit, so you have to reset your expectations as a bowling unit."

After this defeat, Mumbai Indians stay in ninth place and continue to look for the bowling strength that once made them so dominant. Sunrisers Hyderabad move up to third, showing that in this IPL, the bigger the target, the stronger the reply.