Irfan Pathan, Others Slam Hardik Pandya After Poor MI Game vs CSK, Other Teams

Retired cricketers like Irfan Pathan are calling for the removal of Hardik Pandya as Mumbai Indians captain. Growing calls for his removal tail the franchise’s poor win record under the all-rounder’s leadership.

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) defeated an unrecognisable Mumbai Indians (MI) squad by 103 runs on April 23, 2026. That defeat registers an unwanted MI record that has seen the five-time IPL champions lose 5 out of 7 matches played so far in this campaign.

Embarrassing defeats continue to accumulate under Hardik Pandya’s leadership, as teams rip MI apart with ease during group games this season.

Irfan Pathan Blasts Hardik Pandya

Former Team India cricketer Irfan Pathan faulted Pandya’s decision-making when after MI’s latest IPL  2026 loss. The retired cricketer claimed Pandya made wrong calls during the game that eventually led to MI’s fifth defeat this season:

“Hardik made a wrong call. He was definitely under pressure, but you are also looking for a form as a batsman. Since 2023, Hardik has not hit an even half century. You have to use your feet a little. I have said this many times, if there is a little help on the pitch, he has to use his feet. If he uses his feet, he will reach the ball. The pitch is very fast, the ball comes to the ball, then there is no problem,” Pathan said.

“Hand the Responsibility to Rohit” Manoj Tiwary Faults Pandya as MI Skipper

Another former Team India cricketer Manoj Tiwary believes Pandya should hand over MI’s captaincy to Rohit Sharma following the franchise’s poor results run so far:

 “From where will ownership come? One has to look at oneself as well. You need to see how you have been playing. According to me, just because you are not having success this year doesn’t mean the mistakes happened only this year. You need to look at the root cause as well. From 2015-2023, Rohit Sharma helped the Mumbai Indians win several trophies,” Tiwary said.

He continued by saying Pandya’s continued captaincy at MI could lead the franchise to another trophy-less IPL campaign:

“In 2023, there was no trophy. In 2024, there was no trophy, and the chances of the same happening are high this year too. I think the captaincy is weak. I don’t want to be harsh. But Hardik is not leading the team the way it should be. It’s very important to be proactive as a captain. I think that if a solution is needed, Hardik should step back from the captaincy and hand the responsibility back to Rohit. When you removed Rohit, you did an injustice,” he added.

“When Will MI Axe Hardik Pandya as Captain?” Kamran Akmal Blasts Embattled Skipper

Former Green Shirts cricketer Kamran Akmal believes Pandya should no longer be MI’s captain after their latest defeat to the CSK:

“I don’t understand when Mumbai will axe Hardik as the captain. They are at the bottom of the table. I feel Hardik should just play as a player,” the retired Pakistan player said.

Akmal believes that MI’s captaincy places too much responsibilities on Pandya as the franchise continues to struggle under his leadership:

“Look at the performance of MI. Look at the performance of Hardik Pandya himself. He is an all-rounder and is among the best players. If you take out the captaincy load on him, his batting and bowling will improve,” he concluded.

MI IPL 2026 Results and Upcoming Schedule

MI IPL 2026 Full Squad

Batters: Naman Dhir, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Danish Malewar.

All Rounders: Sherfane Rutherford, Hardik Pandya, Raj Bawa, Will Jacks, Mayank Rawat, Krish Bhagat, Corbin Bosch, Mitchell Santner, Shardul Thakur, Atharva Ankolekar.

Wicket Keepers: Robin Minz, Ryan Rickelton, Quinton de Kock.

Bowlers: Trent Boult, Ashwani Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Deepak Chahar, Mayank Markande, AM Ghazanfar, Raghu Sharma, Mohammed Salahuddin Izhar.