Mumbai Indians Called Out For "Commercial" Hardik Pandya Captaincy Call: "Seniors Didn't Support Him"

Mumbai Indians finally breathed a sigh of relief on Monday after registering a massive 99-run victory over Gujarat Titans in their IPL 2026 clash. Having lost four of their first five matches, MI's campaign had been heading in the wrong direction. However, Tilak Varma came to the rescue of the five-time champions in Ahmedabad, scoring his maiden IPL century. Riding on Tilak's brilliant knock, MI posted a commanding total of 199/5 in 20 overs before bundling out GT for just 100 to seal a dominant 99-run win.

Despite the emphatic victory, questions continue to be raised over Hardik Pandya's captaincy. The all-rounder took over the reins from Rohit Sharma in 2024 and has been under severe scrutiny ever since. Before returning to MI, Hardik had an impressive leadership resume, having guided Gujarat Titans to the IPL title in their debut season in 2022, followed by a runners-up finish in 2023.

On paper, Hardik's record as a captain was exceptional, but his statistics dipped after assuming charge at MI. Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar recently made a controversial statement, suggesting that Mumbai Indians may have appointed Hardik primarily for his commercial value rather than purely cricketing reasons. Manjrekar also highlighted the influence of head coach Ashish Nehra behind Hardik's success at GT.

"Hardik Pandya to the Mumbai Indians was a very interesting decision. I think sometimes franchises make decisions that are newsworthy and put them in the spotlight, because ultimately it's a commercial brand. You can see the kind of valuations franchises are getting. So it may not even be a sound cricketing call," Manjrekar said on Sportstar's Insight Edge podcast.

"Hardik Pandya had success with the Gujarat Titans, and that had a lot to do with somebody named Ashish Nehra. So maybe if you wanted Hardik Pandya, you could have also got Ashish Nehra with him," he added.

Manjrekar further spoke about how Hardik went through the booing from the crowd, when he was appointed as the MI captain. 

"It's tough for Hardik because when he came to MI, he surpassed some of the big names. Bumrah wasn't given the nod, nor was Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav. So, he felt the pressure and the first season when he captained, he did not have support of the senior players. So, this is tough," he said. 

"Just imagine, a captain going out for toss and getting booed by the local MI supporters, it's a tough place to be in, " he added. 

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Topics mentioned in this article

Mumbai Indians Gujarat Titans Hardik Pandya Ashish Nehra Sanjay Manjrekar IPL 2026 Cricket