Mumbai Indians (MI) are all set for a solid overhaul as hinted by captain Hardik Pandya after their heavy defeat to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2026 on April 23. MI’s 103-run loss to CSK exposed some serious problems in the team, with Aakash Chopra questioning the form of Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya.
Suryakumar Yadav He is known for his attacking style, but this season, India’s T20I captain has been struggling to make an impact for the Mumbai Indians. In seven innings, the right-handed batsman scored 157 runs with just one fifty at a poor average of over 22 and a strike rate of almost 143.
Aakash Chopra questions Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya’s form in IPL 2026
And the most shocking thing is that Suryakumar has hit only four sixes so far. These numbers do not match its caliber. Even as Mumbai Indians were chasing a huge 208, Suryakumar scored 35 runs off 30 balls. He failed to put pressure on the CSK players.
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He also came out while trying to attack a spinner, and this has become a trend this season. And Chopra feels that Suryakumar’s dismal performances with the bat and repeated mistakes are not helping the five-time champions at all in the ongoing IPL 2026.
akash chopra said in a video on his YouTube channel: “Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya have not scored any runs. Suryakumar Yadav has played seven knocks. He has got out three times while sweeping the spinners.”
Aakash Chopra questions Hardik Pandya’s decisions against CSK
At the same time, MI captain Hardik Pandya is also struggling in the tournament. The Indian all-rounder scored just 97 runs in six matches at an average of less than 20 and a strike rate of just 140. He was also a failure with the ball, taking just three wickets with an economy rate of around 13.
Even against CSK, Hardik gave away 38 runs in just two overs and did not bowl again after that. And the commentator questioned the MI captain’s decision to hand the ball to young bowler Krish Bhagat for the final against CSK in the Wankhede Stadium.
Chopra added: “Hardik, why didn’t you bowl the last over? I understand that you were beaten and conceded 38 runs in two overs, but Krish Bhagat had also conceded 15 runs in the one you bowled to him. It was only his second match. You made him bowl the 20th over. He conceded 16 runs, but that’s not the point. The point is that it was a wrong choice. The captain will have to take a bit of responsibility, which was disappointing.”
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The team will not work with three people: Aakash Chopra
The former Indian batsman has pointed out that MI’s main problem is that their big players like Suryakumar and Hardik are not performing, making it very difficult for others to cover them, and the pressure keeps increasing and they are failing to win matches this season.
Chopra signed off by saying, “Captain Hardik Pandya has scored 97 runs in six matches. He has a strike rate of 141 and his top score is 40. He has taken only three wickets and has an economy of almost 13. This cannot be Hardik Pandya’s performance. If neither of them score runs, forget about Tilak Varma, Quinton de Kock or Naman Dhir. The team will not function with three people.”