3 min learnApr 17, 2026 09:52 AM IST
Mumbai Indians’ fourth successive defeat within the IPL 2026 season has raised alarm bells for the five-time champions, with former India batter Manoj Tiwary criticising Hardik Pandya’s captaincy after the crushing defeat to Punjab Kings on the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
The seven-wicket loss defending a 195-run complete left Pandya scrambling for solutions within the post-match chat. Regardless of beginning the season on a advantageous notice with a file chase on the Wankhede, MI have subsequently endured defeats by appreciable margins. Tiwary slammed Pandya’s feedback after the loss to Punjab, insisting that he might have not directly pointed fingers at sure senior gamers, similar to Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma for his or her detached outings.
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“There’s not a lot to say proper now. We have to return to the drafting board and work out the place we’re missing—whether or not it’s people, the workforce as a complete, or our planning. These are the questions we have to reply shifting ahead. This isn’t nearly shifting on rapidly. We have to assess actually—whether or not we persist with the present method or make some powerful selections. Accountability is necessary, and we have to take possession if we need to flip issues round,” Pandya had mentioned after the match in Mumbai.
‘One thing will not be proper’
Based on his statements, it felt like he was focusing on the established Indian gamers. It may very well be Suryakumar Yadav or Tilak Varma, who are usually not among the many runs. I don’t know whom he was referring to, as a result of his response and physique language, didn’t appear proper to me. We even noticed the proprietor on the bottom, and he appeared offended. General, after seeing all of this, we are able to assume and guess that one thing will not be proper,” Manoj Tiwary mentioned on Cricbuzz.
“From the place will possession come? One has to have a look at oneself as effectively. You should see how you might have been enjoying. Based on me, simply because you aren’t having success this 12 months doesn’t imply the errors occurred solely this 12 months. You should take a look at the basis trigger as effectively. From 2015-2023, Rohit Sharma helped the Mumbai Indians win a number of trophies,” Tiwary remarked.
Tiwary additionally advised that MI think about resting Hardik from the management and think about reinstating former skipper Rohit Sharma, who has led the facet to a file 5 titles.
“If they need an answer for this, then Hardik Pandya ought to take a break from captaincy, and Rohit Sharma must be introduced again in, and on condition that accountability. When Rohit Sharma was eliminated as captain, it was an injustice. The expectation was that Hardik Pandya would ship a trophy, however the way in which issues are going, it doesn’t appear that he’ll be capable to try this,” he added.