Mumbai Indians find themselves stranded near the foot of the IPL 2026 standings, sitting in the second-last position as results continue to slip away. The struggles are not limited to the team’s collective batting and bowling rhythm—captain Hardik Pandya is also going through a difficult stretch with the bat. In seven matches, he has managed only four wickets, while his bowling has come at an economy rate of 12.27. With the bat, Hardik has contributed 128 runs across the season at an average of 21.33, numbers that underline how much his form has dipped during this phase.
Former India player and ex-national selector Saba Karim believes Hardik must rethink how he approaches his batting, arguing that opponents have identified clear patterns and are exploiting them. Karim pointed out that rival teams are deliberately keeping the ball away from the areas where Hardik is most comfortable, limiting him to a narrow set of deliveries. “The opposition bowlers have worked out a plan to him: very few deliveries are bowled in the slot for him. I think the way he sets himself up is only for those deliveries that are in the slot. Anything short outside the off stump, he has been unable to play freely. That’s number one,” Karim said on ESPNcricinfo.
Karim also suggested that the captaincy burden is adding another layer of pressure on Hardik’s performances. With Mumbai’s results not matching expectations, the weight of leading from the front appears to be affecting his rhythm and decision-making. Hardik took over the MI captaincy ahead of IPL 2024, stepping into the role after Rohit Sharma. Since then, the captain has faced a tough period, with Mumbai finishing at the bottom of the points table in his first season in charge. The next campaign brought them into the Eliminator, but in IPL 2026 the franchise has again struggled significantly, losing six of their opening eight matches.
Karim’s view was that the mental load of carrying responsibility during a poor run can compound problems for a batter already under targeted bowling plans. “The pressure of leading MI, the pressure of the team not doing very well, all that is weighing heavily on him,” Karim said.
Looking more closely at the batting side, Karim argued that Hardik’s compatriots have adjusted their games in a way that makes them more versatile across ball lengths and match situations. “If you look at the other batters, all of them have reinvented their game. They’ve become more multi-dimensional. They can play here, they can play the short delivery, and they are well equipped to play the upper(cut) shot. So they have kind of worked hard on the game. And I think in terms of batting, Hardik needs to do that,” Karim said. He acknowledged Hardik’s ability and past impact, adding that the captain has shown he can perform in challenging circumstances for both India and MI, but also felt that the current bowling lengths and match plans from opponents are not allowing him room to operate. “He’s an exceptional talent. He has done so well for India, even for MI, in difficult situations. But I just feel that at this stage, the opposition bowlers have got his number in terms of the length that they’re bowling to him,” Karim concluded.
