Mumbai Indians (MI) and their captain Hardik Pandya have been going through a tough phase in IPL 2026. After another loss to Punjab Kings at Wankhede, the pressure is clearly mounting, and now Irfan Pathan has also flagged some serious concerns.
The five-time IPL champions have had a tough time this season as they have only managed to win one match out of their five matches so far. More recently, the Bombay Indians suffered a crushing seven-wicket defeat to Punjab Kings (PBKS) at their Wankhede stadium.
Irfan Pathan raises major concerns over Hardik Pandya’s form, leadership
Hardik once again failed to make an impact. The MI captain scored just 14 runs off 12 balls and looked out of touch, besides giving away 39 runs in three overs without taking a wicket. His overall numbers aren’t good this season either, with just 81 runs in four innings.
He has taken only two wickets this season and his economy rate is above 11. Reacting to the MI captain’s struggles, Irfan Pathan He feels that Hardik does not look comfortable when the pressure increases and his form is not up to his standard, which is hurting Mumbai Indians badly.
Irfan Pathan said in a video posted on his YouTube channel: “It’s also about managing things in a better way. Hardik’s batting average since 2024 is just over 20. We expect better from him. He also needs to do better in the powerplay in bowling. Things became easier in this match when Allah Ghazanfar picked up wickets. But he looks very worried when the pressure is on.”
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Irfan Pathan urges Mumbai Indians to play as a ‘proper carrier’ in future in IPL 2026
The biggest problem for Mumbai Indians in the ongoing tournament is their bowling combination. Pathan has pointed out that Shardul Thakur and Deepak Chahar are giving a lot of runs, and that makes things worse for the franchise, and then Jasprit Bumrah remains wicketless.
He added: “Of the five bowlers, Shardul Thakur and Hardik Pandya are all-rounders, and Deepak Chahar is not taking wickets. So they are left with just two bowlers. How will they take wickets with just two bowlers? They need to improve their bowling unit and play like a true wicket-taker.”
Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur playing together is a problem for MI: Irfan Pathan
The former Indian all-rounder has pointed out that both Shardul and Chahar are similar types of bowlers and playing them together does not work. Chahar has been very expensive on the power play, putting the team at a disadvantage early on.
He feels that Mumbai Indians might need to make some tough changes like dropping one of the bowlers and bringing in a suitable wicket-taker to get back into the tournament, where they have already slipped to ninth place in the standings. points table with only two stitches in her kitty.
Pathan signed off saying, “Shardul Thakur and Deepak Chahar play at a similar pace. Both of them playing together is a problem. Deepak Chahar has not been able to take wickets with the new ball and has also given 20-21 runs from the first over. When you give so many runs in the first over, the other players have to catch up and be on the defensive.”
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