The IPL 2026 match between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings has raised big questions about Hardik Pandya.
After MI’s heavy defeat, former India captain Kris Srikkanth strongly criticized Pandya’s captaincy and bowling decisions.
What happened in the match
CSK batted first and scored a big total.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| CSK Score | 207/6 |
| Result | CSK won by 103 runs |
Hardik Pandya started with the new ball but struggled.
He bowled 2 overs in the powerplay and gave away 38 runs. After that, he did not bowl again in the innings.
Key decision: death overs
Instead of bowling himself, Pandya gave the death overs to a young bowler.
Death overs details
| Bowler | Overs | Runs |
|---|---|---|
| Krish Bhagat | 2 (16th & 20th) | 31 |
The final over went for 16 runs, which helped CSK reach a strong total.
Srikkanth’s reaction
Srikkanth openly said that Pandya made wrong decisions in the match.
He questioned why Pandya did not bowl in the death overs, especially when he has experience in big matches.
He also criticized the toss decision and said MI should have chosen to bat first.
According to him, the team’s strategy and execution were both poor in this game.
Captaincy under pressure
Srikkanth suggested that Pandya may be feeling pressure as captain.
He pointed out that when a team is losing regularly, decision-making becomes difficult.
He also said that Pandya is struggling with both bat and ball this season.
Hardik Pandya IPL 2026 stats
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Matches | 6 |
| Runs | 97 |
| Wickets | 3 |
| Economy | 12.67 |
These numbers show that Pandya has not been at his best.
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MI’s current position
| Matches | Wins | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | 2 | 8th |
Mumbai Indians are currently near the bottom of the table, which increases pressure on the team.
Key takeaways
- Pandya did not bowl in death overs
- Young bowler handled pressure situations
- MI’s strategy did not work
- Team is struggling in the points table
Final thoughts
Mumbai Indians need to improve quickly if they want to stay in the competition.
Hardik Pandya’s decisions and form will be important in the upcoming matches.
The team will hope to bounce back and fix their mistakes as IPL 2026 continues.
