- Hardik Pandya’s captaincy questioned amid team’s struggles.
- Manoj Tiwari suggests Rohit Sharma should lead again.
- Pandya’s past success contrasts with current MI performance.
Hardik Pandya Blamed For MI Losses: Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Hardik Pandya is facing mounting criticism after the team’s disappointing start to the IPL 2026 campaign. With just one victory in five outings, the side currently sits near the bottom of the standings, with their latest setback coming against Punjab Kings (PBKS). The team’s underwhelming performances have inevitably put the spotlight on Pandya’s leadership. Having taken over the captaincy from Rohit Sharma two seasons ago, expectations were high, but results have yet to follow this season.
Manoj Tiwary Questions MI Leadership Call
Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary has expressed strong views on MI’s captaincy situation. Speaking on Cricbuzz, he suggested that the decision to replace Rohit as captain may not have been the right move and urged a rethink.
“Hardik is not leading the team the way it should be. It’s very important to be proactive as a captain. I think that if a solution is needed, Hardik should step back from the captaincy and hand the responsibility back to Rohit. When you removed Rohit, you did an injustice,”
He further elaborated on the need for introspection within the team setup, highlighting deeper concerns beyond just current results.
“From where will ownership come? One has to look at oneself as well. You need to see how you have been playing. According to me, just because you are not having success this year doesn’t mean the mistakes happened only this year. You need to look at the root cause as well. From 2015-2023, Rohit Sharma helped the Mumbai Indians win several trophies,”
Rohit’s Legacy Looms Large
Mumbai’s dominance in the IPL was largely built under Rohit’s leadership. The franchise secured all five of its titles during his tenure, including memorable wins over MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in multiple finals.
While Pandya has proven his credentials as a leader here, he did guide Gujarat Titans (GT) to a title in their debut season, and a final appearance the following year. Unfortunately, he has so far been unable to replicate that success since returning to Mumbai.
As results continue to falter, scrutiny around Pandya’s captaincy is only expected to intensify. With the season still ongoing, the focus will remain on whether Mumbai can turn things around, or if calls for a leadership change grow louder.
