Former Indian Cricketer Suggests Hardik Pandya Step Down as Mumbai Indians Captain
Ex-India star tells Hardik Pandya to ‘take rest from captaincy’ and hand reins to Rohit Sharma: ‘Don’t want to be harsh'
Hindustan Times
Image: Hindustan Times
After suffering their fourth consecutive loss in the IPL 2026 season, former Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary has advised Hardik Pandya to relinquish captaincy of the Mumbai Indians and return the reins to Rohit Sharma. Tiwary criticized Pandya's leadership decisions during the recent match against the Punjab Kings.
- 01Mumbai Indians lost to Punjab Kings, marking their fourth consecutive defeat in IPL 2026.
- 02Manoj Tiwary criticized Hardik Pandya's captaincy and decision-making during the match.
- 03Tiwary suggested that Pandya should step down and hand captaincy back to Rohit Sharma.
- 04Pandya scored only 14 runs and was ineffective with the ball, conceding 39 runs in three overs.
- 05The Mumbai Indians have not won a trophy since 2020, raising concerns about their performance.
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The Mumbai Indians, led by Hardik Pandya, faced their fourth straight defeat in the IPL 2026 season after losing to the Punjab Kings at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Following the match, former Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary criticized Pandya's leadership, stating that he should reflect on his performance and consider stepping down as captain. Tiwary emphasized that Pandya's decisions, including promoting himself in the batting order and bowling choices, were detrimental to the team's success. He suggested that Pandya should return the captaincy to Rohit Sharma, who previously led the franchise to five IPL titles. Pandya's performance in the match was underwhelming, scoring just 14 runs and conceding 39 runs in his bowling spell. The Mumbai Indians have not secured a trophy since 2020, and Tiwary believes that a change in leadership could help turn the team's fortunes around.
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The Mumbai Indians' poor performance could affect fan support and franchise revenue, as the team struggles to regain its winning form.
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