Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar has taken a pointed swipe at Hardik Pandya, urging Mumbai Indians to make a hard decision on their captaincy setup ahead of the next IPL season. Mumbai were knocked out of playoff contention after suffering their eighth loss of the campaign on Sunday, going down to defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Raipur.
Mumbai’s season ends in early elimination
Mumbai Indians became the first franchise to be eliminated from the race for the playoffs this IPL season. The defeat in Raipur marked another setback for a side that has struggled to find consistency, winning only three matches overall.
The franchise’s latest exit extends a difficult trend: in the last six seasons since lifting their most recent IPL trophy in 2020, Mumbai have failed to qualify for the playoffs four times. On two of those occasions, they finished at the bottom of the points table.
Heading into the final stretch of the league phase, Mumbai sat in ninth place—only above Lucknow Super Giants, who were also eliminated on Sunday.
Manjrekar questions Hardik’s leadership call
Speaking to Sportstar, Manjrekar suggested that after another disappointing season under Hardik’s captaincy, Mumbai may need to reassess whether their leadership direction is working. His remarks came after a follow-up question that was preceded by his own desire to see Jasprit Bumrah take charge of the Indian team.
- Manjrekar said he would like Bumrah to captain India, arguing that no one appears to read the game as accurately as the fast bowler.
- He praised Bumrah’s approach as being built not only around execution, but also on anticipation—reading batters, gauging the situation, and understanding conditions on the pitch.
- He added that he was “a little disappointed” Bumrah does not seem interested in taking on the captaincy role for England, pointing to instances where he did not lead when Shubman Gill was appointed India captain.
- Manjrekar expressed hope that at least in the Indian Premier League, Bumrah will get a chance to captain.
Fan-theory dig: package deal and the Nehra factor
When asked whether Mumbai should consider Bumrah as an option following their heartbreaking elimination this year, Manjrekar didn’t hold back. However, his response came with a cheeky reference to a long-running fan theory about why Hardik’s stint as Mumbai captain has not clicked, despite his success with Gujarat Titans.
Manjrekar hinted that the difference could be linked to the absence of Ashish Nehra in Mumbai’s dugout. He claimed that if Hardik was going to move to Mumbai, then Nehra should have been part of the same arrangement as well—adding that Nehra is not with Hardik in his new role.
- Manjrekar said he understood the question and suggested Mumbai might have to look beyond Hardik Pandya.
- He described the captaincy move as having “certainly” not worked and added that it may not be fair to Hardik either.
- He framed it as a “package deal” idea—stating that along with Hardik’s move to Mumbai, Ashish Nehra should have come too.
- He argued that Nehra is not with Hardik, and then reiterated he would like Bumrah to be given a shot.
- Manjrekar noted that captaincy in the IPL would be less of a burden for Bumrah than leading in Tests, where the fast bowler would have to stay fit and ready for every match.
Hardik–Nehra success in Gujarat and the road ahead
Manjrekar also referenced Hardik and Nehra’s earlier partnership in Gujarat Titans. The duo, he said, delivered immediate impact—reaching the final in each of their first two IPL seasons together, and winning the title in Hardik’s debut campaign in 2022.
After Hardik left, Gujarat slipped to eighth place the next season. They have since bounced back, finishing third in 2025, and are currently aiming for a top-two finish in IPL 2026.
