Former BCCI selector Kris Srikkanth has taken a hard line against Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya after the franchise\u2019s defeat to Chennai Super Kings on Saturday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Mumbai suffered their seventh loss of the campaign, sliding to ninth place in the points standings, with their chances of reaching the playoffs effectively fading.<\/p>\n
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Srikkanth questioned Hardik\u2019s leadership and decision-making, particularly during MI\u2019s innings on a Chepauk surface that offered two different paces. He pointed out that Hardik managed just 18 runs off 23 balls, while also criticising the captain\u2019s bowling call during the powerplay. Instead of taking responsibility himself, Hardik handed the new ball to Krish Bhagat, who leaked 18 runs in that phase. Srikkanth suggested that Hardik lacked the courage to bowl early and linked it to what he sees as a growing pattern in his captain\u2019s batting as well.<\/p>\n
Srikkanth said Hardik appeared \u201cscared\u201d to bowl with the new ball, adding that opposition teams have seemingly worked out a way to deal with him. \u201cHardik Pandya can\u2019t lay bat on ball, and with the ball also, he is scared. He gives Krish Bhagat the ball in the powerplay instead of bowling himself. Teams are smashing Bhagat, yet Hardik is scared to bowl in the powerplay,\u201d he remarked. He then went further, calling the captain\u2019s overall impact \u201cterrible\u201d and questioning the intent behind MI\u2019s approach in both the middle and the closing overs. \u201cHardik Pandya is playing terribly. You are the captain. They had no clue in the middle and end overs. What was Hardik Pandya even trying to do? It was hard to understand. Hereafter, no one will feed him balls on a length. They\u2019ll bowl into the body and tuck him up. Teams are completely locking him up,\u201d Srikkanth added.<\/p>\n
The former India batter\u2019s criticism did not stop with Hardik. Srikkanth also targeted Tilak Varma\u2019s run of form this season, highlighting his dismissal for five off eight balls against Chennai. He urged the Mumbai Indians management to consider dropping Tilak, arguing that the batter has been struggling for consistency and that one strong performance should not mask the bigger issues.<\/p>\n
\u201cTilak Varma then ate ball after ball, and that\u2019s where the pressure started. He is playing so ordinarily. Barring that one century, he has struggled big time this season. One sunny day doesn\u2019t make a summer. Likewise, just one good knock won\u2019t do. He should be dropped. He is batting horribly. They must bring in a new batter instead,\u201d Srikkanth said.<\/p>\n
Tilak, however, has shown he can deliver match-defining innings, including scoring an unbeaten 101 that helped MI register their second win of the season against Gujarat Titans last month. Even so, beyond that century, he has accumulated just 92 runs across his remaining eight innings.<\/p>\n
With the loss to CSK adding another blow to their campaign, Mumbai Indians now turn their attention to their next assignment against bottom-placed Lucknow Super Giants on May 4 at the Wankhede Stadium.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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