Former Pakistani cricketers Kamran Akmal and Basit Ali set out to embarrass the Mumbai Indians management for their poor show, and also considered snubbing Hardik Pandya from the captaincy.
Mumbai Indians are five-time champions in IPL history, but their struggles have been significantly noticed by cricket fans around the world in recent seasons. The MI team won its last title in 2020 and has failed to reach the final since then.
Mumbai are currently in the 8th position in the points table and have only managed to win 2 of their seven matches this season. They have lost five games this season and most of them are at home.
Basit Ali backs Mumbai Indians to return to top form amid IPL 2026
Mumbai Indians continue their rollercoaster campaign in this IPL season. After winning the first match, they broke their decade-long curse in 2012, but then lost four matches in a row. They then defeated the Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad for the first time since the team’s introduction in 2022.
Former Pakistan player Basit Ali claimed that MI is now on a losing streak; They will recover and improve their position in the points table. Basit Ali made a hilarious statement on the YouTube channel ‘The Game Plan’.
He stated: “Mrs Ambani jab unke bacheh ko gussa ayega na tab danda denge bhai chalo ab jeetho match ab out nehi hona sow karo sow, (Mrs Ambani’s children when they are punished and asked to win matches and score centuries).”
Kamran Akmal blames Hardik Pandya for MI’s misfortunes in IPL
On the same show, another former star cricketer of the nation, Kamran Akmal, questioned why Mumbai Indians have not considered removing Hardik Pandya from the captain’s position.
“I don’t understand when Mumbai will sack Hardik as captain. They are at the bottom of the table. I feel Hardik should just play as a player,” Kamran Akmal said.
“Look at MI’s performance. Look at Hardik Pandya’s own performance. He is an all-rounder and is among the best players. If we take away the captaincy burden from him, his batting and bowling will improve,” Akmal added.
Can MI recover from 8th position in IPL 2026?
Mumbai Indians are currently far behind in the points tally with just 4 points after 7 matches this season. Any team to qualify must secure a minimum of 14 to 16 points, depending on the performance of its opponent.
The Hardik Pandya-led team is halfway there and will have to win almost all of their remaining matches. Out of the 7 matches, MI will have to win at least 6 matches to secure their position in the top 4.
However, according to statistical data, MI managed to qualify for the playoffs in 2023 and 2025, but failed to make the playoffs in 2022 and 2024, so a similar result could complete a treble for them in 2026.
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