When Sherfane Rutherford walked out to bat, Mumbai Indians had their backs up against the wall, needing 120 more to win in 46 balls. Hardik Pandya, at the other end, fought, and fell for a breezy 22-ball 40. Naman Dhir fell soon after. Although the asking rate was over 16 runs an over, but for one brief moment, Sherfane got us flirting with the possibility of a miracle. 💙

His 31-ball 71, studded with one four and nine massive sixes 👊, kept MI in the fight and despite not getting two points on the board, ensured the net run-rate didn’t spiral out of control.

This was the third loss in four games. While it might look a little worrying, Sherfane insisted it was just about getting the small things right as a team. “For us four games, three losses, it’s just small margins. The preparations have been good as a unit. It is just small margins,” he said at the post match press conference.  

There’s a long way to go, over a month and a half in fact. We’re still in the nascent stages of the tournament. There have been umpteen occasions in the last nineteen years of the IPL where Mumbai Indians have started off slowly, only to snowball into a winning machine and break down the Playoffs’ door. In the 2026 season, there haven’t been major losses. The three that have come have been rather tight.

“The last game was a matter of just three or four hits. Same with this game,” he said. “What is important for us is to keep learning. It is a long tournament and in long tournaments, it is not about how you start but how you pick up momentum. Moving forward, that will be the most important thing for us,” he said.

It’s time for the drawing board now. It’s time to keep the spirits up and know to peak at the right time. As Mumbai Indians gear up for another home game on Thursday (April 17), this time against the Punjab Kings, who’ve been unbeaten thus far in tournament, it’s about tweaking the small things, winning those small moments, and finding momentum at the right time. 💪

“It is about how you take the learnings. We need to go back to the drawing board and strengthen on the small margins. As a team we will come back stronger. We are a good team. Three games does not make us a bad team. There are 14 games and there is a long way to go.”