IPL 2026 | ‘We should have batted better’: MI skipper Hardik Pandya on 103-run loss to CSK

Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya admitted that his side struggled to recover from early setbacks in their heavy 103-run loss to Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2026 clash at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday (Apr 23). Reflecting on the defeat, Pandya said losing wickets in the powerplay made the chase difficult and the team couldn’t regain control while pursuing a target of 208.

"I think that in the power play, losing that early wicket is always going to be tricky. You are always chasing the game, and we could not cope after that," Pandya said.

Addressing questions on whether the pitch behaved differently during the chase, the MI skipper dismissed the suggestion and credited CSK's batting performance.

"I would not say that. I'm not someone who would like to say that. They batted well; they scored 207. It was the same track, it is the same soil. We should have batted just better," he added.

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Pandya also noted that while Mumbai’s spinners did a decent job, Chennai’s batting depth proved decisive. He singled out Sanju Samson for his exceptional unbeaten century, adding that consistent contributions from other batters helped Chennai post a total well above par for the surface.

“I think even our spinners bowled pretty well. It's just that Sanju played an outstanding knock. At the same point in time, their batters kept coming and kind of chipping in and got them to a decent total. I think more than a decent total on that track.”

On potential adjustments for upcoming games, Pandya said the team would regroup and evaluate their options over the next few days to determine the best way forward.

"I think that will be the chat where we will go back again, go forward and figure out what we need to do. We have a couple of days. We just need to see what we can do best," he concluded.

Chennai secured a commanding win, driven by Samson’s brilliant 101 off 54 deliveries and a brilliant bowling effort led by Akeal Hosein, who claimed four wickets. The rest of the bowling unit also contributed as Mumbai were bowled out for 104 after Chennai posted 207/6. The victory lifted Chennai to fifth place in the 2026 standings.

CSK's dominant 103-run victory over MI also went into the record books as their biggest win in terms of runs in IPL history. They surpassed their previous record, a 97-run win against Kings XI Punjab in Chennai during the 2015 season.

For MI, the defeat marked their heaviest loss in IPL history by runs. Their earlier worst margin of defeat was an 87-run loss to the Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur during the 2013 season. It also became their biggest defeat at the Wankhede Stadium, surpassing a 39-run loss to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2015.

The total of 104 all out is now MI's lowest score against CSK in IPL history, going past their 136/8 at Dubai in the 2021 edition. Overall, CSK have now won five of the last six encounters against MI since 2023.

With inputs from agencies