"They played better": Hardik Pandya admits MI outplayed as CSK cruise to 8 wickets win

He felt MI were on course for a strong total around 180-190, but lost momentum after the 10th over and failed to finish well.

Mumbai Indians were well placed at 90/2 after the first 10 overs, but their innings lost momentum in the latter half as they managed just 69 runs in the next 10 overs while losing five wickets.

Skipper Pandya struggled throughout his stay at the crease, but it was Naman Dhir's 57 that stood out in the end for MI, which helped the visitors reach 159 in their 20 overs.

Pandya noted that batting wasn't easy early on, requiring calculated play, something CSK executed better. He credited the opposition for smarter cricket, especially with the ball, which prevented MI's batters from accelerating. Despite trying their available bowling options, he conceded that CSK were the superior side on the day.

CSK edge past MI by eight wickets in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 match on Saturday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad and Kartik Sharma headlined CSK's chase of 160 runs with unbeaten fifties.

"Not the season, I feel. 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," Pandya said after the match.

Gaikwad scored 67 off 48 balls, Kartik made 54 off 40 balls, getting CSK over the line with 11 balls to spare. Earlier, the Mumbai Indians scored 159/7 in 20 overs on the back of a 57-run innings by Naman Dhir.

CSK moved to the sixth spot in the IPL 2026 points table with the win. They now have eight points in nine matches. (ANI)