Hardik Hails Sooryavanshi After MI Loss to RR 'IPL 2026'

After Mumbai Indians’ loss to Rajasthan Royals, skipper Hardik Pandya remained optimistic, saying “the sun will rise” for the five-time champions while praising the fearless batting of young RR opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. 

A blazing 32-ball 77 by Yashasvi Jaiswal and a rapid 14-ball 39 from Sooryavanshi powered RR to 150/3 in a rain-shortened 11-over match. In response, MI struggled to build momentum and were restricted to 123/9, slipping to seventh in the points table.

For MI, Nandre Burger (2/21), Sandeep Sharma (2/25), and Ravi



Bishnoi (2/26) were the standout bowlers, but the team’s overall bowling performance fell short against RR’s aggressive batting. 

Speaking after the match, Hardik pointed to poor execution by his bowling unit, stating that they failed to deliver in key moments. He emphasized that the loss was more on the bowlers than the batting lineup. 

He also credited RR openers Jaiswal and Sooryavanshi for taking the game away early, calling the youngster’s fearless approach “fascinating” and wishing him success in the future.