Robin Singh, the former Mumbai Indians coach, has hit back at the wave of criticism aimed at Hardik Pandya after MI’s crushing defeat to Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2026. The five-time champions were bowled over by a dramatic batting collapse, eventually falling to a 103-run loss. Sanju Samson then struck a superb century to propel CSK to a competitive 207/6 in their 20 overs, before Mumbai’s chase unraveled in the face of pressure and poor execution.
MI’s collapse and the chase
- CSK posted 207/6 in 20 overs, powered by Sanju Samson’s brilliant hundred.
- In reply, Mumbai Indians could not build partnerships consistently and suffered a major top-to-middle collapse.
- Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma were the only batters to reach double figures for MI.
- Hardik Pandya was dismissed for a duck during the chase, adding to the team’s misery.
- MI were ultimately beaten by 103 runs, extending the scrutiny around the captaincy and overall batting performance.
While Hardik’s leadership came in for heavy criticism after the defeat, Robin Singh argued that pinning the entire disaster on one person is unfair—especially when international-level batters fail to deliver with the target in front of them. Taking to social media on April 24, 2026, the ex-coach said it is “quite impossible to blame just the captain for this debacle,” pointing out that he had been part of MI’s management setup until a few years earlier.
Robin Singh also questioned the logic of blaming only the skipper, saying that proven international batters are expected to manage the chase and keep the required run rate under control. He asked why such players are not able to maintain the momentum when the match demands it, and further raised the issue of who consistently drives the decision-making after winning the toss—stressing that the problem cannot be reduced to captaincy alone.
He noted that Mumbai Indians have multiple international captains within the squad, naming Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav as examples. In Robin Singh’s view, experienced senior players should step in during difficult phases, support the captain, and offer guidance rather than leaving everything to one individual.
Robin Singh also suggested that if a captain has a tough stretch in terms of results, the entire team should not hide behind collective collapse. He added that team plans are discussed in the team room, implying that accountability should be shared across batting and leadership units—not placed solely on Hardik.
