Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya admitted that the team once again failed to fix the same problems that have troubled them throughout IPL 2026 after their four-wicket loss to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Hardik on MI's defeat vs KKR

The defeat added to MI’s disappointing season, with the five-time champions already knocked out of the playoff race. KKR, meanwhile, kept their slim playoff hopes alive and moved to 13 points with one league game left. Speaking after the match, Hardik said Mumbai Indians (MI) were at least 20 runs short with the bat.

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“Definitely as a batting group, we were 20 (runs) short. I think we lost a lot of wickets in powerplay, but if Tilak (Varma) and I would have stayed longer, and we had stitched a couple of more partnership and got those 15-20 runs, I think we would have had a decent chance,” said Pandya.

The main reason behind MI's Performance in IPL 2026

The MI skipper also pointed out the team’s poor fielding as a major reason behind their struggles this season.

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“I think throughout the season, we've been quite poor in fielding. I think we have dropped a lot of catches, which obviously no one wants to do it. But in that part of the game, I think there is no hiding away. I think if you get chances, if you want to win games, you need to grab all the chances, even half chances as well. But yeah, when you drop chances which can change the game, it's always you are chasing the game,” he added.

Hardik Pandya on Eden Gardens Pitch

Despite the loss, Hardik praised the pitch at Eden Gardens and said he enjoyed playing on a surface that offered help to bowlers.

“To be very honest, I don't mind playing on this sort of wickets where bowlers have something to do. I think IPL is becoming quite batting-dominated. Bowlers are feeling helpless.

“I think today's game kind of gave bowlers something as well, which kind of makes them come and bowl some good balls, make batsmen play some good cricket and score runs. So, I kind of enjoyed it,” he said.

MI's Performance in IPL 2026

Mumbai Indians endured a forgettable IPL 2026 season, managing only four wins in 12 league matches. The team struggled with inconsistent batting performances, poor fielding, and an expensive bowling attack, leading to an early exit from the playoff race.