Hardik Pandya Throws In The Towel After Mumbai Indians' Crushing Loss To CSK

Mumbai Indians captain, Hardik Pandya, admitted it has been a season to forget for his side after the loss to rivals Chennai Super Kings on Saturday. Five-time champions MI suffered their seventh loss in nine games this season as they were steamrolled by Ruturaj Gaikwad's CSK. The defeat further dented MI's hopes of qualifying for the playoffs with just five games left to play. Speaking on the loss, Hardik was quick to admit that the season has been far from what they would've hoped for.

"Not the season, I feel, not just the night," said Hardik asked whether it was simply not Mumbai's night. He also credited CSK for executing the plans better than them.

"They played better; bowled, fielded and batted better. At one point, we were looking at 180-190. We couldn't get momentum post 10 overs, not the finish as well. Not easy to play shots early in the innings. It was about playing calculated innings, which they did. Batters couldn't get under the batter, they bowled better. We would've had to throw fireballs to get them out. We went with our bowling options, they played smart cricket and were better," he added.

A target of 160 wasn't a massive one for CSK, and Gaikwad hit 67 not out off 48 balls, laced with five fours and two sixes, his second successive fifty. Kartik, meanwhile, registered his maiden IPL half‑century in an unbeaten 40-ball vigil, hitting four boundaries and three sixes, as CSK wrapped up the chase with 11 balls remaining.

At the age of 20 years and 6 days, Kartik became the second youngest CSK batter to score an IPL fifty after Ayush Mhatre (17y 291d). The duo rotated strike wisely and punished the loose deliveries by sending them to the boundary ropes and kept the chase firmly under control through a 98-run stand off 75 balls for the third wicket.

The eight-wicket win is CSK's biggest victory against MI in the IPL, and this is the third time they have achieved a league double over their arch-rivals after 2014 and 2023.

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