Coach Jayawardene defends skipper Pandya after Mumbai Indians’s fourth consecutive defeat; insists entire squad must take responsibility for crushing home loss to Punjab
MI skipper Hardik Pandya wears a dejected look against Punjab Kings at Wankhede on Thursday. Pic/Satej Shinde
Unlike previous editions, Mumbai Indians (MI) started IPL-19 on a winning note, beating Kolkata Knight Riders at home in their opening match. However, the five-time champions have since suffered four successive defeats. Their latest being a horribly one-sided match which Punjab Kings (PBKS) won by seven wickets with 21 balls to spare at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene admitted that other teams have been more clinical and that MI need to build momentum soon.
MI pacer Jasprit Bumrah during his 0-41 vs PBKS. Pic/Satej Shinde
“We’re not taken out completely, but at the same time the other teams are much better, clinical; obviously, the confidence is high when they have that kind of start, so we just need to control the phases that we can control,” Jayawardene said during the post-match press conference on Thursday night.
The former Sri Lankan captain, however, insisted that skipper Hardik Pandya (12-ball 14 and 0-39 off three overs) alone is not responsible for the team’s shoddy show so far. “I don’t think it’s [the weight of the results] just on Hardik, it’s on every one of us when we are not doing well. It’s not an individual. It’s pretty much on me and everyone involved in the management to see how we can be better. We need to do things better to get into some rhythm and then get a few wins under our belt, which will give us that confidence,” said Jayawardene.
Mahela Jayawardene. Pic/IPL
MI’s main concern is their bowlers’ inconsistency in taking wickets. In five games this season, they have managed only 18 scalps. More importantly, their bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is yet to take a wicket in IPL-19. He conceded 41 runs in his four overs against PBKS at an economy rate of 10.25.
“Sometimes you need a bit of luck as well. If the other [bowler] is taking a few wickets and then he [Bumrah] gets some match-ups which he’s very comfortable with, very good. He bowled some really good balls initially to Shreyas [Iyer] as well, but wasn’t lucky enough. I think once he starts taking wickets, it might not be able to stop him,” added Jayawardene.
Jayawardene said the team must take inspiration from opener Quinton de Kock, who scored an unbeaten 112 off just 60 balls on his IPL-19 debut. “From the first game, you guys asked me: why Ryan [Rickelton], why not Quinny [De Kock]? And there was a reason for it. And when the time was right, we played Quinny. He patiently waited like a good pro and executed a brilliant innings. It’s great to have that early. We need everyone to fire like that and have that hunger out there in the middle,” he added.
6
No. of wins for Punjab Kings vs MI at Wankhede in the IPL — the most by any team
18
No. of wins for Punjab Kings vs MI in the IPL — joint-most with CSK
196
Target chased by Punjab Kings vs MI on Thursday — the 2nd-highest against the five-time champions; PBKS also hold the record for the highest successful chase vs MI (204 in 2025)
112*
No. of runs scored by Quinton de Kock on Thursday — the most for MI in a losing cause
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