First defeat of the season: Mumbai Indians suffer from the absence of Hardik Pandya. What's the reason?

Mumbai Indians pacer Deepak Chahar spoke about how Hardik Pandya's absence impacted his team's performance.

Details: After their first defeat of the season, with Mumbai Indians losing to Delhi Capitals by 164/4 to 162/6, team pacer Deepak Chahar shared his thoughts on the reasons behind the disappointing result:

I think the wicket was a little slow. I think the toss was crucial. I think there was a bit of moisture there. I wouldn't say it was slow, it was just I think I could feel the moisture, and the toss was very crucial in this sense, that's why we were 10-15 runs short there

He also explained why the team's star, Hardik Pandya, did not play.

I think he was sick, that's why he couldn't play. Hopefully, he'll play in the next game. Yes, we were short because defending 160 in an afternoon game is a bit difficult, and to defend 160 you have to take consistent wickets. Rizvi played really well. If we would've got him out early, before 10 overs, the match would have been very interesting till the end

Thus, after two games this season, Mumbai Indians sit in fifth place in the championship with one win to their name.

The team will play their next match on Tuesday, April 7, travelling to face Rajasthan Royals, who currently top the table with a net run rate of +2.233.

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