Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 5 (ANI): Eagle Thane Strikers captain Shardul Thakur admitted that the team was disappointed after suffering a heartbreaking one-run defeat in their second match of the Mumbai T20 League 2026, but stressed that the squad is already focused on bouncing back in the next game.

Chasing 173 for victory against Akash Tigers MWS, Eagle Thane Strikers fought till the very end but eventually fell short despite valuable contributions from Sairaj Patil (39 off 23 balls), Siddhant Singh (37 off 19 balls) and skipper Shardul Thakur (25 off 15 balls), according to a press release.

Onkar Tarmale impressed with the ball, claiming three wickets during the innings.

Reflecting on the contest, Shardul Thakur (who has played 25 T20 internationals for India) praised the team's fighting spirit while acknowledging the disappointment of missing out on a crucial win.

'Obviously, we are disappointed. When a game goes down to the final moments, and you fall short by such a narrow margin, it hurts. Everyone gave their best, and we felt we were very much in the contest till the last ball,' said Shardul Thakur.

The Eagle Thane Strikers skipper, however, urged his teammates to quickly move on from the setback and focus on the challenges ahead in the fast-paced tournament.

'At the same time, this is a long competition, and we cannot stay stuck on one result. There were plenty of positives for us. The way Siddhant played, the impact Sairaj had with the bat and Onkar had with the ball, and the intent shown by the entire batting unit are things we can build on. We have to take the learnings and move forward,' he added.

Thakur emphasised that close matches are often decided by small moments and backed his side to respond strongly in the upcoming fixtures.

'Sometimes, T20 cricket comes down to one or two moments. Unfortunately, they went against us today. We are disappointed, but we are ready for the next game now. The focus is on recovering well, preparing properly and coming back stronger. The tournament moves quickly, and we want to make sure we are ready for the next challenge,' he said.

Eagle Thane Strikers will now turn their attention to their next Mumbai T20 League 2026 fixture against ARCS Andheri on June 5 as they look to return to winning ways. (ANI)