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'There are a lot of questions that will take time to answer.'
All but out of the play-offs race after suffering their eighth defeat in 11 games in IPL 2024, Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya seemed to be at a loss for words to explain the reasons for his team's disastrous showing in IPL 2024 so far.
In a major reshuffle, Pandya was handed over the captaincy as he replaced MI's most successful skipper Rohit Sharma, something that the fans didn't really embrace with the colourful Baroda all-rounder being booed every time he took to the pitch.
"There are a lot of questions that will take time to answer. But for now, not much to say. Obviously, we couldn't form partnerships and kept losing wickets. Bowlers did a fantastic job on this track," Pandya said after his team failed to score 170, losing to KKR at home for the first time in 12 years.
Pandya felt that the Wankhede pitch was better to bat in the second half of the match once the dew set in but MI's batters failed to capitalise.
"The wicket got better if I am not wrong. The dew came in the second innings. We will go through the game and see what we can do better," he said.
Pandya tried to put up a brave front as he spoke about fighting till the last match.
"You keep fighting, that's what I keep telling myself. It's challenging, but you take the challenges."
Meanwhile, KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer was delighted with his team's emphatic victory which has taken them closer to a place in the play-offs.
"We are (knocking at the door) at the moment. Lot of thinking would have gone behind that (had we lost today). Just got to know about the stat (of KKR not winning at Wankhede for 12 years)... "
The Impact Player' rule did help KKR as Manish Pandey, who came in at the fall of the fifth wicket, contributed with a vital knock of 42 to revive KKR after a few early wickets in the company of Venkatesh Iyer, who smashed 70.
"This Impact Player rule specifically helped us in this game. Manish has being eyeing an opportunity from the first game. We got to a commendable total. I told the boys that if we have got here, we can defend it," Iyer said.
He was all praise for the performances from spin twins Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine, both of whom returning with identical figures of 2/22 from four overs.
"Spinners were unreal, absolutely spot on in executing their lines and lengths as discussed in team meetings. Kudos to them."