25 April,2026 10:17 AM IST | Mumbai | Rohan Koli
MI skipper Hardik Pandya. PIC/IPL
Once hailed as the league's most dangerous power-hitter, Hardik Pandya has looked clueless with the bat this season. In six innings, he has managed just 97 runs at a poor average of 19.40, with a highest score of 40. His sequence of scores reads 18', 9, 40, 14, 15, and one. This clearly highlights his inability to both stabilise an innings or finish it. In fact, as a finisher, he has hit only two sixes so far this season and this has only added to the pressure on MI's other batters, particularly while chasing big targets.
Pandya has proved to be one of the weakest links in MI's bowling department which has been struggling overall. He has leaked runs upfront and, in turn, helped ease the pressure on opponents at the start of the innings. Among all the bowlers in IPL-19, who have delivered 15 overs or more so far, Pandya has given away a whopping 190 runs at an unreasonably high economy rate of 12.67, making him the most expensive bowler. He has been ineffective too, considering he has just picked three wickets in six games. In the crucial clash against CSK on Thursday, Pandya leaked 38 runs in his first two overs (the team's second and fourth) straightaway handing the momentum to their in-form opener Sanju Samson, who went on to hammer an unbeaten 54-ball 101.
Pandya's captaincy has been under fire ever since he took over the reins at MI. He has so far won just 15 games and lost 20 out of 35. Some of his decisions have been baffling. He chose not to open the bowling with India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah in earlier games, and then handed the ball to highly inexperienced young pacer Krish Bhagat in the final over against in-form CSK opener Sanju Samson. Both decisions backfired. In the match vs RCB, he shockingly picked spinner Mayank Markande to bowl against skipper Rajat Patidar, who is not only a good player of spin, but has also previously hammered Markande (for four consecutive sixes when he was playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2024). This time, Patidar smashed three consecutive sixes off Markande. The MI skipper also had a brain-fade moment against RCB, challenging a no ball call despite delivering a high full toss that was clearly above the batter's waist. Realising his error, Pandya tried to overturn the decision, but it was too late. Suryakumar Yadav, standing nearby, also seemed surprised by his captain's call.
âYou [Hardik Pandya] make Krish Bhagat, who is playing his second match, bowl his first over in the 15th or 16th over against a set Sanju Samson. It was a wrong decision. You gave the last over to him, which was again not the right decision'
Irfan Pathan
âCaptain Hardik Pandya has scored 97 runs in six matches. He has a strike rate of 141, and his top score is 40. He has picked up only three wickets and has an economy of nearly 13. This cannot be Hardik Pandya's performance'
Aakash Chopra
âHardik Pandya won the toss and handed the advantage to a team that has only won matches in this tournament by batting first. Do you remember the first game the Mumbai Indians played? They lost in a similar fashion against RCB'
R Ashwin
103
MI's losing margin against CSK on Thursday - their biggest ever in the IPL (by runs); it is also CSK's biggest IPL win ever
104 all out
MI's total on Thursday - their lowest ever vs CSK in IPL
Three
No of consecutive defeats for MI at Wankhede - their most in one edition
19
No of wins for CSK against MI - the most by any team in IPL
Six
No of wins for CSK against MI at Wankhede - the joint-most alongside Punjab Kings in IPL
One
No of times MI have been bowled out against CSK at Wankhede across 14 IPL meetings
