Hardik Pandya has always attracted noise around his name, and IPL 2024 only intensified it. His switch from Gujarat Titans (GT) to Mumbai Indians (MI) triggered anger from supporters in Mumbai and Ahmedabad, with the criticism echoing even at neutral venues. Now, fresh concerns are resurfacing: Hardik has missed matches for MI due to an injury, and speculation has begun about what comes next for him in the franchise.
Social media, injuries and the “thick skin” debate
While the chatter has often been tied to results on the field—both Hardik’s performances and MI’s overall showings—Shardul Thakur offered a more grounded view. He pointed to the impact of injuries and said that online reactions are a mix of accuracy and misinformation.
Thakur later addressed Hardik’s absence after MI beat Punjab Kings (PBKS) by six wickets in Dharamsala. Hardik did not travel for that match.
- Thakur said a lot of the online discussion is a combination of correct and incorrect claims.
- He noted Hardik was injured, which meant he could not travel for a couple of games.
- Thakur added that Hardik went to Raipur for the match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on May 10, but could not take part.
- According to Thakur, Hardik is now training in Mumbai and is expected to return for the game in Kolkata against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) next Wednesday.
- Thakur said players like Hardik are always missed because of the quality they bring to a side.
What MI have said about Hardik’s condition
The precise details of Hardik’s injury have not been fully clarified, but MI’s head coach Mahela Jayawardene did reference a “back issue” following MI’s defeat by RCB. The all-rounder last played on May 2 and has since been out of three matches.
- Jayawardene referenced a “back issue” after the loss to RCB.
- Hardik’s last appearance came on May 2.
- He has missed three games in total.
In the two matches where Hardik was absent, Suryakumar Yadav—the India T20I captain—led the side. On Thursday, against PBKS, the leadership role was handled by Jasprit Bumrah.
Ashwin on captaincy, responsibility and fitness questions
R Ashwin, speaking on ESPNcricinfo TimeOut, pushed back against the idea that Hardik’s captaincy alone should be blamed for MI’s struggles this season. He argued that when a team as a whole fails to deliver, it is unfair to single out the skipper.
Ashwin also emphasized that Hardik’s leadership credentials are not something that can be wiped away easily—citing his time at Gujarat Titans, where he delivered major success, including an IPL title and a runners-up finish.
- Ashwin said he would not “review” Hardik’s captaincy this year because blaming the captain in such seasons is unfair.
- He argued that the responsibility should not fall solely on Hardik when the team has not managed to perform consistently.
- He said it is unrealistic to expect Hardik to take blame for everything.
- Ashwin highlighted that Hardik was part of Gujarat Titans’ success, with two standout seasons—one ending in a title and another in a runners-up finish.
- He stressed the challenge of replacing an established white-ball captain in Mumbai, referring to the franchise’s history and the difficulty of stepping into Rohit Sharma’s shoes.
- Ashwin pointed out Rohit has won five IPL titles and also won a T20 World Cup.
- He said replacing such an incumbent captain naturally brings intense fandom and pressure, and that surviving social media demands “thick skin.”
Hardik’s IPL 2026 numbers and wider concerns
IPL 2026, in particular, has been a difficult run for Hardik. MI’s campaign has been marked by heavy setbacks, with only occasional wins, and the franchise became one of the first teams to be knocked out of playoff contention. In that context, Hardik’s batting output has been below par.
- Hardik averaged 20.85 with the bat.
- He scored 146 runs across eight innings at a strike rate of 136.44.
- He took four wickets with an economy rate of 11.90.
- Suryakumar Yadav, according to the same season tally, has made 195 runs from 11 innings at a strike rate of 144.44.
- Jasprit Bumrah has taken three wickets in 12 games, while maintaining an economy rate of 8.53.
Ashwin’s view on why captaincy blame may not be fair
Ashwin also widened the lens to bowling and match control. He said MI’s bowling has leaked runs in many directions, which makes it hard to isolate the captain’s decision-making as the root problem.
- Ashwin said he would not judge captaincy much because the bowling has been conceding runs in every direction.
- He described a pattern where overs costing six or seven runs are followed by even bigger overs of around 15 runs.
- He argued that captaincy is shaped by how the team performs, not just by isolated calls.
- He acknowledged that some decisions may be debatable, but maintained that results often reflect the broader team effort.
- He added that the coach also plays a role by sending players into roles and conditions, so the skipper cannot be held responsible alone.
Fitness and batting mechanics: Ashwin’s specific questions
Even with that defensive stance on captaincy, Ashwin did raise concerns about Hardik’s physical readiness, based on what he has observed while the batter has faced deliveries.
Ashwin said he has noticed something unusual in Hardik’s timing—specifically that he has been arriving very late to the ball. He questioned whether this reflects an ongoing physical problem and suggested it could connect to the back issue or other related concerns like arm injuries.
- Ashwin said he found it “interesting and strange” how late Hardik has been on the ball.
- He asked whether Hardik is going through something physically.
- He said if there is a physical factor, it may explain the late movement and could become better with recovery.
- He emphasized that Hardik is not a player who should miss the hard-length deliveries.
- He pointed out that Hardik tends to hit those balls “15 rows back,” calling it a concern if he is late instead.
- Ashwin listed possible explanations he would want to know, including whether the back issue has affected his batting, whether there is a hand problem, or whether it could be something like tennis elbow.
- He also wondered if Hardik’s bat feels heavier than it should be and whether he needs to recalibrate his setup.
Final word: value of the player and what Ashwin would watch next
Ashwin concluded by stressing that Hardik is a once-in-a-generation talent and that he has been a key driver of India’s current T20 strengths, serving as a “linchpin” in that development. Ashwin said a poor season is something he can digest—especially after a T20 World Cup campaign of the kind Hardik has been part of.
He further noted that Hardik likes space and tends to operate within his own zone. For Ashwin, the main concern remains the late arrival on the ball while batting. Apart from that, he suggested that the rest of the assessment should be left open until Hardik’s form and physical condition become clearer.
- Ashwin called Hardik a once-in-a-generation player.
- He said Hardik’s impact has been central to India’s T20 mastery.
- Ashwin said a bad IPL season is “digestible” to him, particularly after a T20 World Cup of that magnitude.
- He said Hardik’s natural style involves liking space and staying in his own zone.
- Ashwin’s main worry was Hardik being late on hard-length deliveries.
- He said everything else was acceptable and he would not judge the other aspects of Hardik’s game harshly.
