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Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya (Image credit: BCCI/IPL)
NEW DELHI: Mumbai Indians person endured a disappointing IPL 2026 campaign. The five-time champions, who won each their titles nether erstwhile skipper Rohit Sharma, are already retired of the playoff contention aft managing conscionable 4 wins successful 12 matches portion suffering 8 defeats.One of the large talking points surrounding Mumbai Indians’ mediocre play has been the signifier of skipper Hardik Pandya, who has struggled with the bat. Pandya has scored 146 runs successful 8 matches astatine an mean of 20.85 and a onslaught complaint of 136.44.
With disapproval mounting implicit some his batting and captaincy, erstwhile India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin came retired successful enactment of the all-rounder, calling it unfair to spot the blasted solely connected him."I wouldn't reappraisal his captaincy this twelvemonth astatine all. Honestly, erstwhile you person seasons similar this, to pin the blasted connected the skipper is rather unfair.
Nobody has turned up, the squad has failed to crook up. And for Hardik to instrumentality the blasted connected himself is asking a small excessively much. He was determination astatine Gujarat Titans and had 2 fabulous seasons," Ashwin said connected ESPNCricinfo.Pandya returned to Mumbai Indians successful 2024, this clip arsenic captain, replacing Rohit Sharma. Before his determination to Gujarat Titans successful 2022, Pandya had already been a portion of the Mumbai Indians setup from 2015 to 2021.
He led Gujarat Titans to the IPL rubric successful their debut play successful 2022 and past guided them to the last again successful 2023.
Ashwin believes replacing a highly palmy skipper similar Rohit Sharma was ne'er going to beryllium easy. Rohit guided Mumbai Indians to IPL titles successful 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020, establishing himself arsenic 1 of the league’s astir palmy captains.Pandya’s assignment arsenic MI skipper successful 2024 besides triggered beardown reactions from fans, with the all-rounder facing boos during the season."So clearly, arsenic a leader, helium did thing close determination (Gujarat Titans). And erstwhile helium came backmost to Mumbai Indians, he's had to woody with rather a bit. It's not casual to regenerate an incumbent Indian white-ball skipper specified arsenic Rohit Sharma. Five IPL titles, he’s won a T20 World Cup, and Hardik comes successful and replaces him. You've got a batch of fandom astir the country," Ashwin said."You request to person heavy tegument to past societal media these days.
I deliberation he's gone done rather a spot successful his idiosyncratic beingness arsenic well. I wouldn't justice his captaincy excessively overmuch due to the fact that the bowling has besides leaked runs successful each direction. Every azygous clip an implicit goes for six oregon 7 runs, on comes a 15-run over. So what bash you bash arsenic a captain? Sure, he's made immoderate calls that person been debatable. There was a clip successful Mumbai erstwhile determination was a abbreviated bound connected the limb side.
You don't privation to vessel the 20th implicit from that end. But helium chose to vessel the 20th implicit from that side, with the tract placement astatine the incorrect extremity erstwhile the innings started.
So these things tin happen. They tin heap up 1 aft the other," helium said.Mumbai Indians failed to suffice for the playoffs successful 2024 aft Pandya took charge. They bounced backmost successful 2025 and reached Qualifier 2 earlier losing to Punjab Kings. However, the 2026 play has again ended without a playoff berth for the franchise."Captaincy is often a effect of however your squad makes you look. Which is wherefore I judge that erstwhile you person a bully season, don't springiness excessively overmuch recognition to the captain. And erstwhile you person a atrocious season, don't pin it each connected him," Ashwin said.
