After 5 games, MI have only managed 1 win and lie in the 9th spot in the points table. With 4 defeats on the trot this season in the IPL 2026, the pressure is mounting for the team to sort their problems. Punjab Kings (PBKS) beat MI by 7 wickets as they successfully chased 195 for the loss of 3 wickets in just 16.3 overs after MI set the target of 195 for 6 in 20 overs.

MI need to find answers as they languish at the bottom half of the table. Hardik Pandya in the post-match presentation has made it clear that some drastic measures need to be taken.

The captain admitted after the match:

"We really need to see if we need to make some difficult calls or if we need to keep continuing and hope that we turn things around, These are some hard questions, which eventually we need to answer, and the ownership has to be taken.

He Further added: 

"I don't have much to say right now. I think we really need to go back to the drawing board and see where we are lacking. Is it individuals, is it as a group, is it as planning? We will figure it out and see what we can do next."

Hardik's words convey that the team is aware of their poor performance but haven't found the answers for their miseries yet. The team has been lacking on every front of the game - whether it is batting, bowling or the on-field decision-making process.

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During his discussion about the loss, Pandya did commend the performance of the Punjab Kings and said that the opposition were superior in all aspects of the game.

Pandya Concluded:

"I think you need to give credit to them as well. The ball started reversing, and at that same time, the dew didn't come," he said. "In the second innings, the dew came and the pitch got slightly better. But having said that, they just outplayed us they bowled better, they batted better, and they fielded better definitely, and that cost us the game."

PBKS bowlers successfully constrained MI to below 200 runs and their batters did an impressive job of making light of the chase. The conditions altered as the match went on favoring the team chasing but MI couldn't capitalize when the opportunities came.

The challenge is daunting for MI moving forward as they now stand at 1-5 and the team must make significant improvements in all departments if they have any hopes of making it out of the group stage this season.