Hardik Pandya Wins Hearts Despite MI's Loss vs KKR in IPL 2026 With Emotional Statement on Children: 'Let Them Smile Freely'

KKR vs MI, IPL 2026: Hardik Pandya found love despite loss in Kolkata with his emotional statement on needy children. After the four-wicket loss on Wednesday at the iconic Eden Gardens, Hardik spoke about the importance of supporting the needy and bringing a smile on their face. He also reminded all that it is a ‘ESA’ match. For the unversed, 'ESA' stands for Education and Sports for All initiative by Reliance Foundation and Mumbai Indians. It also aims to support education and sports for underprivileged and specially-abled.

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‘Let them smile freely’

“This is an ESA match for the children. We just want to go there and bring smiles to the faces of those 25,000 kids and let them smile freely. We want them to really enjoy watching us play. It will become a memorable moment in their lives, and we also want to win the match," Pandya said at the post-match presentation. 

Following the loss, Hardik confessed that he reckoned they were 20 runs short of where they should have been and that hurt.

"Yeah, I mean, quite entertaining. Definitely as a batting group, we were 20 short. I think we lost a lot of wickets in powerplay, but if Tilak and I would have stayed longer, and we had stitched a couple of more partnerships and got those 15-20 runs, I think we would have had a decent chance," Hardik pointed out where MI got it wrong. 

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MI's Season to Forget

It truly has been a season to forget for the Mumbai-based franchise. They are languishing at the bottom of the table. Understandably, a few tough decisions are on the cards in the coming days.