Hardik Pandya blasts Mumbai Indians after crushing defeat to Punjab Kings

Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya did not hide his frustration after his side suffered a humiliating seven-wicket defeat to Punjab Kings at the Wankhede Stadium on April 16, delivering a brutally honest assessment of a team struggling badly this season.

Cutting a visibly disappointed figure during the post-match presentation, Pandya admitted Mumbai were second best in every aspect of the game and said the team must urgently confront difficult questions before their campaign slips further away.

“To be very honest, I have nothing to say at the moment. We need to go back to the drawing board and see what we are lacking. Is it individuals? Is it as a group? Is it planning? We will sit and figure it out soon and then we will see what we can do next,” Pandya said.

Mumbai endured a forgettable evening in front of their home crowd, faltering with bat, ball and in the field. Despite a century from Quinton de Kock, the hosts managed only 195, a total that was swiftly chased down by Punjab in just 16.3 overs.

Punjab’s charge was led by Shreyas Iyer and Prabhsimran Singh, who attacked from the outset and dismantled Mumbai’s bowling with fearless strokeplay.

“They just out-batted us. They batted, bowled and also fielded better than us and that cost us the game,” Pandya added.

The defeat deepens Mumbai’s growing crisis. After five matches, they have managed just one win — against Kolkata Knight Riders in their season opener — and now sit second from bottom in the Indian Premier League standings.

Except for a final-ball thriller against Lucknow Super Giants, Mumbai’s defeats this season have largely been one-sided, raising fresh concerns over team balance, strategy and confidence.

Pandya conceded major decisions may now be unavoidable as the franchise searches for answers.

“I mean, we really need to see whether we need to take some bold calls or hope to turn things around with the same group. There are some hard questions which we need to answer and yeah, ownership has to be taken,” he said.

In contrast, Punjab Kings continue to gather momentum. The win marked their fourth victory in five matches this season, with their only non-win coming in a rain-hit clash against Kolkata at Eden Gardens.

For Mumbai Indians, however, the pressure is rising fast — and so is the frustration of their captain.