MUMBAI: Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya blamed his batters' inability to forge partnerships for their 24-run defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders in Match 51 of the Indian Premier League despite a brilliant effort by his bowlers at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday.
Jasprit Bumrah (3-18) and Nuwan Thushara (3-42) claimed three wickets apiece at each end of the KKR innings as Mumbai Indians restricted them to a paltry 169 despite brilliant fighting 70 off 52 balls by Venkatesh Iyer, who raised 83 runs for the sixth wicket in the company of Manish Pandey, rescuing their team from a precarious 57/5 at one stage.
Mitchell Starc claimed 4-33, claiming three wickets in the 19th over to end Mumbai innings for 145 after spin twins Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy had reduced them to 61/4 with identical 2-22 hauls.
Suryakumar Yadav waged a lone battle raising Mumbai Indians' hopes with a 35-ball 56, raising 49 runs for the seventh wicket with Tim David (24) before Andre Russell (2-30) and Mitchell Starc ended Mumbai's innings, sharing the last five wickets between them.
Pandya said the lack of partnerships undid the super effort by the bowlers and it will take time to find answers to the questions raised by their dismal performance throughout IPL 2024.
"Obviously we couldn't form partnerships and kept losing wickets. There are a lot of questions that will take time to answer. But for now, not much to say, " said Hardik at the post-match presentation.
He said though the wicket played better in the second innings and there was dew too to make it tough for the KKR bowlers, he will have to go through the game again to see what they can do better.
"Bowlers did a fantastic job on this track. The wicket got better if I'm not wrong. Dew came in the second innings. Will go through the game and see what we can do better.
Asked what his team can do now with their chances of qualifying for the Playoff virtually hanging by a thin thread, Pandya said they will continue fighting.
"You keep fighting, that's what I keep telling myself. It's challenging, but you take the challenges, " he signed off.
Mumbai Indians have six points from 11 matches now and the maximum they can reach is 12 points if they win the remaining three matches. With four teams already scoring 12 or more points, and two with 10 points with matches to play, their chances of qualifying for the next stage look very bleak.