Experts Say Mumbai Indians Lack Support For Hardik Pandya In IPL 2026

Former India batter Manoj Tiwary has raised concerns over the lack of collective support for Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya amid the team’s disappointing run in the IPL 2026 season. MI, placed ninth on the points table, suffered their seventh defeat of the campaign after losing to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Saturday, further deepening their struggles in the tournament.

The latest defeat has intensified scrutiny on Hardik Pandya, who has been at the centre of criticism for Mumbai Indians’ poor performances this season. However, Tiwary, speaking on Cricbuzz, argued that it is unfair to place the entire burden on the captain. He said that leadership in a team sport requires collective backing, but in MI’s case, Hardik appears to be shouldering responsibility largely alone without adequate support from teammates.

Tiwary further stressed that while Hardik’s own performances have not been at their best, the inconsistency of other key players has significantly hurt the team. He pointed out that senior batter Suryakumar Yadav has struggled to deliver consistent performances, while young batter Tilak Varma has failed to maintain momentum after occasional good innings. According to him, such inconsistency across the squad has made it difficult for MI to produce winning results.

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Despite having a star-studded lineup featuring experienced leaders like Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya himself, Mumbai Indians have struggled to find balance and clarity in their approach. The team has also lacked tactical flexibility in pressure situations, often failing to adapt when matches move against them. This has raised questions about both on-field decision-making and overall team execution.

Former India spinner Murali Kartik also weighed in on MI’s chances, delivering a blunt assessment of their campaign. He stated that even if Mumbai Indians win all their remaining matches, their maximum possible points would not be enough to realistically challenge for a top-four finish. With multiple teams already ahead on the table and games in hand, he suggested the qualification scenario is nearly impossible.

Kartik concluded that MI’s IPL 2026 campaign is effectively “99.999% over,” given the mathematical and competitive gap between them and the leading teams. He noted that franchises like Punjab Kings, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Rajasthan Royals are already well placed, making MI’s comeback highly unlikely even with a perfect finish to their remaining fixtures.

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