"Opposition Bowlers Have Worked Out A Plan To Him": Ex-India Player On MI Star's Batting Struggles
Mumbai Indians are struggling in IPL 2026 after losing six of their first eight matches.
- Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya is going through a lean patch in IPL 2026
- In seven matches, he has picked four wickets and scored 128 runs at an average of 21.33
- "Opposition bowlers have worked out a plan to him: very few deliveries are bowled in the slot" - Saba Karim
Mumbai Indians are languishing at the second-last spot on the IPL 2026 points table. While the team is struggling, their captain, Hardik Pandya, is also enduring a poor run, especially with the bat. He has picked four wickets in seven matches while leaking runs at an economy rate of 12.27. With the bat, Hardik has scored only 128 runs at an average of 21.33. Former India player and ex-national selector Saba Karim has opined that the MI skipper needs to reinvent his batting as opposition bowlers have picked out his weaknesses.
"The opposition bowlers have worked out a plan to him: very few deliveries are bowled in the slot for him. I think the way he sets himself up is only for those deliveries that are in the slot. Anything short outside the off stump, he's been unable to play freely. That's number one," Saba Karim said on ESPNcricinfo.
The former India wicketkeeper-batter said that the pressure of leading Mumbai Indians is also taking a toll on Hardik's performance.
The player took over as MI captain ahead of IPL 2024, replacing Rohit Sharma in the role. Since then, it has been a challenging phase for Hardik.
The team finished at the bottom of the points table in Hardik's very first season as MI skipper. The following season saw them play the Eliminator, but in IPL 2026, the side has performed poorly, losing six of the first eight games played.
"The pressure of leading MI, the pressure of the team not doing very well, all that is weighing heavily on him," said Karim.
Talking further about Hardik's batting, he said, "If you look at the other batters, all of them have reinvented their game. They've become more multi-dimensional. They can play here, they can play the short delivery, and they are well equipped to play the upper(cut) shot. So they have kind of worked hard on the game. And I think in terms of batting, Hardik needs to do that. He's an exceptional talent. He has done so well for India, even for MI, in difficult situations. But I just feel that at this stage, the opposition bowlers have got his number in terms of the length that they're bowling to him."
Mumbai Indians
India Cricket Team
Hardik Pandya