Suryakumar Yadav admitted Mumbai Indians were left disappointed after their narrow two-wicket defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru ended their IPL 2026 campaign on Sunday.
In a thrilling contest at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Mumbai fought till the final ball while defending 166, but RCB managed to cross the line in dramatic fashion.
The stand-in MI captain felt his side did not have enough runs on a difficult batting surface despite a strong recovery in the middle overs.
“I think we were 10-15 runs short. We can say the wrong timing of wickets (while batting). Naman and Tilak batted beautifully and showed character,” Suryakumar said after the match.
Tilak Varma and Naman Dhir rescue MI after early collapse
Mumbai were in early trouble after Bhuvneshwar Kumar removed three wickets inside the powerplay, reducing MI to 28/3.
However, Tilak Varma and Naman Dhir steadied the innings with an important partnership. Tilak scored a composed 57, while Naman played a fluent knock of 47 to help Mumbai post 166/7.
Their stand brought MI back into the game after a shaky start and gave the bowlers something to defend on a challenging pitch.
Suryakumar praises Raj Bawa despite tense final over
Young all-rounder Raj Bawa nearly pulled off a remarkable final over for Mumbai while defending 15 runs.
The over saw plenty of twists, including key wickets and costly extras, before Bhuvneshwar Kumar struck a decisive six to seal the win for RCB on the final ball.
Despite the defeat, Suryakumar was full of praise for the youngster’s improvement during the season.
“I think he had been practising that (death bowling) really well, and he was a completely different all-rounder this year. Almost pulled it off for us,” he said.
MI captain applauds fielding effort and Corbin Bosch spell
Suryakumar also appreciated Tilak Varma’s effort near the boundary during Krunal Pandya’s innings. Although the catch opportunity ended in confusion and no wicket, the MI skipper praised Tilak’s commitment on the field.
“I think these are the things you practice a lot with the fielding. The way Tilak came back and took the catch again showed that he wanted to do something special. Part of the game,” he said.
The MI captain also highlighted the contribution of Corbin Bosch, who kept Mumbai alive in the contest with an impressive four-wicket haul. Bosch dismissed Rajat Patidar, Jacob Bethell, Jitesh Sharma and Tim David during a brilliant spell.
“Very proud of the way he (Bosch) bowled in the Power-play and in all phases,” Suryakumar added.
‘Hard pill to swallow’: Suryakumar on MI’s disappointing season
The loss officially ended Mumbai Indians’ hopes of reaching the playoffs, marking a disappointing campaign for the five-time IPL champions.
Suryakumar admitted it was difficult for the team to accept finishing outside the playoff spots but remained hopeful about making a stronger comeback next season.
“I think we can just try and play this game because we love it. Though we are not used to being in this position often. Hard pill to swallow. Hopefully, we will come back well next year,” he mentioned.
Also Read: Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s four-wicket haul ends Mumbai Indians’ journey to playoffs in IPL 2026
The post Suryakumar Yadav admits MI were short after heartbreaking last-ball defeat to RCB ends Mumbai Indians’ IPL 2026 campaign appeared first on Cricket Country.
