Hardik Pandya’s captaincy is facing intense scrutiny after Mumbai Indians suffered what has been described as their most lopsided defeat in IPL history, and it came against arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings. The five-time champions have managed just two victories from seven games, and their season momentum is now wobbling despite a strong core that includes Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Pandya himself. High hopes at the start have been met with uneven performances and costly missteps in key phases.
Much of the criticism has landed directly on Hardik’s decision-making on the field. Fans and former players have pointed to bowling changes and broader match management that did not land as intended, leaving the team to absorb pressure rather than control it. With results not coming, Mumbai now face the danger of slipping even further down the standings unless they respond quickly.
Quick facts
- Mumbai Indians’ captaincy concerns have intensified after their biggest-ever IPL defeat, against Chennai Super Kings.
- MI have won only 2 of their 7 matches so far.
- The scrutiny targets Hardik Pandya’s leadership, including on-field calls and game-management decisions.
- Kris Srikkanth criticised Hardik for what he called a lack of intent in crucial moments.
- Srikkanth questioned Hardik’s choices around bowling the death overs, including handing over overs to Krish Bhagat.
- Srikkanth also criticised the captain’s decision at the toss.
Srikkanth’s key criticism
Former India batter Kris Srikkanth launched a scathing attack on Hardik’s approach, arguing that the skipper appeared hesitant to shoulder responsibility when the match demanded it. Srikkanth specifically questioned why Hardik did not take the ball late in the innings, suggesting that the MI captain seemed reluctant even though he has experience bowling the death overs at the T20 World Cup level.
In his remarks, Srikkanth said that the problem begins with that mindset, adding that after winning the toss, MI should have opted to bat first to create a platform for “single-handed” moments. He cited examples from recent games to make his point, referencing Tilak Varma’s impact in one match and Sanju Samson’s performance in another, before asserting that Hardik made the wrong call as captain.
Srikkanth went further by challenging both Hardik’s tactical judgement and his overall influence with bat and ball. He suggested that Hardik’s captaincy was characterised by poor timing and a failure to assert himself in moments that could have swung momentum.
Death overs and batting order doubts
Continuing his attack, Srikkanth argued that Hardik’s decision-making reflected “dubb a” captaincy, stating that the MI skipper should have batted first after winning the toss. He also pointed to a recurring pattern he believes has cost MI, saying that aside from the KKR match, the side have regularly ended up chasing rather than setting the tone early.
On the bowling end, Srikkanth highlighted what he viewed as a major error in the late overs. He questioned why a captain who has bowled death overs in T20 World Cups was not the one entrusted with the final overs, instead allowing Krish Bhagat to bowl the last two. In his view, Hardik has become more of a “run-feeder,” and the team’s late-innings control has suffered because of it.
He also criticised Hardik’s batting, claiming he has struggled to make contact and put bat on ball consistently. Srikkanth’s overall message was that the captain’s confidence and execution are not matching the role and standards expected from him.
Verdict on confidence and team structure
Srikkanth then issued a blunt assessment that Hardik Pandya has “lost confidence,” questioning both the team’s management choices and Pandya’s belief in his own game. He suggested the skipper looks unsure across batting, bowling and captaincy, and that the way MI are being set up is exposing that lack of conviction.
In one of his most pointed arguments, he said it does not make sense to give a youngster only his second match the responsibility of bowling in the death overs. Srikkanth referenced the figures to underline his claim, stating there were 69 runs in the four-over spell shared between Hardik and Bhagat, and framing this as the biggest difference in the outcome.
He proposed an alternative plan, saying Krish Bhagat should instead be pushed to bowl two overs in the middle of the innings, arguing MI were effectively “finished” at that stage if that phase is not handled correctly. Srikkanth concluded by saying Mumbai have no clear plan for their XI and reiterated that Hardik has lost confidence as a batter, a bowler and a captain.
