Hardik Pandya’s captaincy has come under intense scrutiny after Mumbai Indians (MI) lost four of the six matches they have played so far in the ongoing TATA Indian Premier League 2026 (TATA IPL 2026). Apart from the captaincy part, Hardik Pandya has also been a disappointment as a player.

As Mumbai Indians prepare to take on Chennai Super Kings in their next IPL 2026 clash on April 23 at the Wankhede Stadium, Tilak Varma has shared his experience of playing under the captaincy of Hardik Pandya and India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav.

Tilak Varma refuses to choose better captain between Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma

Tilak Varma shared that Hardik’s style is full of energy and he is always involved, always pushing the players and trying to lift the spirits on the field. The young batsman also shared an example from MI’s last match against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad, where he smashed an unbeaten century.

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The MI captain looked quite intense while talking to Tilak during their association. However, the batsman did not feel the pressure at all but played a strong innings which helped the five-time champions win that match by 99 runs against the Titans.

Talking about Suryakumar’s style, Tilak said that he brings a calmer approach and thinks more about plans, match situations and small details. However, the Hyderabad batsman is comfortable with the leadership styles of both captains, avoiding choosing one over the other.

I enjoy playing with both captains: Tilak Varma.

Tilak Varma said in the pre-match press conference, “To be honest, Surya bhai was a bit on the tactical side. Hardik bhai, he always backs the players and himself. If you saw the last match, he was saying, ‘Tu karega, tu karke dikhayega’. He keeps motivating the players with his energy.

That’s his kind of captaincy: that energy you can feel. Surya is more interested in the tactical side. Both are good in their aspects. I enjoyed playing under the captaincy of Surya bhai and I also enjoy playing under the captaincy of Hardik bhai.”

At the same time, Mumbai Indians are under pressure this season. There are also questions about Hardik and Suryakumar’s form. They are yet to get great results this season, but Tilak insisted that they are doing everything right and just need a good innings to get going.

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Surya bhai is not out of shape: Tilak Varma

Tilak said Suryakumar is not out of form. He is hitting well and timing the ball well. He pointed out that sometimes a player comes out because of a good shot or because he takes a risk in difficult situations, and cited the RCB match, where Suryakumar took his usual shot but it went wide.

He signed off saying: “It’s just a matter of one inning. If that inning comes, he will be in touch again. The same thing happened in the World Cup. The first game against the United States was a very crucial inning. If it doesn’t go well in the first game of the World Cup, the team’s morale is a bit low. But he did it there. It’s just one inning, and he will be back.”