Who could have thought that Chennai Super Kings (CSK) would be able to defeat Mumbai Indians (MI) by a margin of 103 runs, and that too at the Wankhede Stadium. For the entire MI community, the reality is brutally harsh. CSK won by 103 runs against their arch-rivals Mumbai Indians in the 33rd match of the ongoing IPL 2026 season.
Since the leadership change, five-time IPL winners MI are yet to regain the throne. Under the leadership of Hardik Pandya, the team showed flashes of brilliance, but not consistently. To win a long tournament like the Indian Premier League, teams need to perform consistently. Mumbai Indians know the formula to become a successful team in the league.
Someone will have to take responsibility for the repeated failures. Fingers started pointing towards the captain, Hardik Pandya. There are at least three reasons why Hardik Pandya should be blamed. As stated by former captain Rohit Sharma, under whose leadership the franchise won five titles in the past, fans are urging the management to reconsider the role of captain.
Three reasons why Hardik Pandya should step down from MI captaincy:
Mumbai Indians results in recent seasons under the leadership of Hardik Pandya:
As a team leader, he is still not convinced of his leadership skills with Mumbai Indians. Since playing for the franchise as its captain, the team has performed without maintaining an agile performance.
If we look at the team’s results, season after season, after Pandya’s arrival as the team leader, the picture will become clear. Pandya was officially announced as the captain of the Mumbai Indians (MI) on December 15, 2023, ahead of the IPL 2024 season.
MI season-by-season results under Pandya’s captaincy:
IPL 2024: 10th (M: 14, W4 W% 28.5)
IPL 2025: Third (M: 16, W9 W% 56.2%)
IPL 2026: This season, based on your performance, the play-off seems very far away.
Tactical inconsistency under pressure:
As Mumbai Indians are one of the most successful teams in the league, captaining the team is not a very easy job to do.
Hardik is often criticized for his leadership decisions under pressure. There has been criticism about inconsistent bowling changes, field placements or match reading situations. As he is a proven talent and an experienced player in the league, expectations are always high around him.
Pandya’s individual performance in IPL 2026 so far:
As per the current performance, Hardik Pandya becomes one of the weekly links in the lineup. Tonight, when the team was looking for big innings to remain significant in the contest against Chennai Super Kings, Pandya was dismissed for just 1 run.
Hardik Pandya has failed massively with the bat for MI this season and has just scored 97 runs in 7 innings for the five-time champions. If MI fails to qualify this season, it will surely fly under the radar.
Pandya’s Batting Statistics in IPL 2026:
MI vs CSK: 1MI vs GT: 15MI vs PBKS: 14MI vs RCB: 40MI vs RR: 9MI vs KKR: 18*
Read More: IPL 2026 Points Table: Updated Standings, Orange Cap, Purple Cap After MI vs CSK 33rd Match