Pressure is steadily mounting on Hardik Pandya as Mumbai Indians find themselves stuck in a worrying rut, having lost four matches on the bounce. It’s proving to be a difficult phase for Pandya, both as captain and as a player, with neither his individual performances nor the team’s results going their way.
MI last tasted IPL success in 2020, and since then, the search for a sixth title has only grown longer. In an attempt to shake things up, the franchise made the bold decision to part ways with Rohit Sharma as captain and bring Pandya back into the setup, handing him the leadership role immediately.
However, stepping into the shoes of a five-time title-winning skipper was never going to be straightforward. The expectations have been immense, and the early results this season haven’t helped ease the pressure. With four straight defeats already, Mumbai Indians are in danger of falling behind quickly, leaving Pandya with a tough task to turn things around before it’s too late.
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan shared a blunt assessment of Pandya’s recent performances, highlighting concerns over his batting returns and effectiveness with the ball. Pathan also pointed to visible signs of pressure, stressing that the Mumbai Indians skipper needs to manage key moments far better.
“It is also about managing things in a better manner. Hardik’s batting average since 2024 is in the early 20s. We expect better from him. He needs to do better in the powerplay in bowling too. Things became easier in this match as Allah Ghazanfar picked up wickets. But he is looking very worried when there is pressure,” Pathan said on his YouTube channel.
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“MI are left with just two bowlers”
Pathan was critical of the MI bowling attack, which is struggling to get wickets, and the likes of Pandya, Shardul Thakur, and Deepak Chahar’s sub-standard performances are only making things difficult for them. The pressure on Jasprit Bumrah is also growing as he has yet to take a wicket this season.
“Out of the five bowlers, Shardul Thakur and Hardik Pandya are all-rounders, and Deepak Chahar is not taking wickets. They are left with just two bowlers then. How will you take wickets with just two bowlers? They need to improve their bowling unit and play a proper wicket-taker,” he added.