All posts tagged: Hardik Pandya

‘When your brother also plays same sport…’

‘When your brother also plays same sport…’

Published by Webster

3 min readUpdated: Jun 4, 2026 09:36 AM IST Krunal Pandya was an integral part of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) setup this season that succesfully defended their Indian Premier League (IPL) title. For both Pandya and RCB, there were significant milestones – RCB became just the third team to have won consecutive IPL titles, after famously having waited 17 years to win their first last season. For Pandya, this was the fifth time he had won the title, having won it four times in the past with the Mumbai Indians. It was also the second time he didn’t have his brother Hardik with him on the champions’ podium, with the latter instead having a forgettable season as captain of MI. Krunal and Hardik famously share a close relationship that has been seen on the cricket field a number of times in the IPL and with the Indian team. “Obviously, we have played together,” said Krunal in an interview with the Times of India. “We have always discussed cricket in terms of tactical, technical stuff …

IPL shake-up on the cards? Hardik Pandya for Dube, Mhatre trade idea suggested as CSK nudged for captaincy change

IPL shake-up on the cards? Hardik Pandya for Dube, Mhatre trade idea suggested as CSK nudged for captaincy change

Published by Parlour News

The uncertainty surrounding Hardik Pandya’s future at Mumbai Indians has become increasingly difficult to ignore. Calls for his release have gathered momentum following a disappointing IPL campaign in which the five-time champions finished ninth on the table. It was a season where MI struggled to find rhythm from the outset, with senior players unable to step up in high-pressure moments and the team repeatedly faltering when it mattered most. Hardik Pandya’s captaincy came under the scanner this season. (PTI) Hardik’s leadership also came under scrutiny as Mumbai failed to qualify for the playoffs for the second time in three seasons under his captaincy. The move to hand him the reins after a high-profile trade from Gujarat Titans, replacing long-time skipper Rohit Sharma, was always going to be a bold call. However, the results have yet to justify the decision, with questions now being raised about both the direction of the side and Hardik’s long-term role in the leadership setup at the franchise. Subramaniam Badrinath has stirred conversation with a bold trade suggestion involving Hardik and …

Pandya’s disappears momentarily on Instagram days after end of MI’s IPL campaign

Pandya’s disappears momentarily on Instagram days after end of MI’s IPL campaign

Published by Webster

3 min readUpdated: May 27, 2026 07:55 PM IST Hardik Pandya’s Instagram account appeared deactivated for a few hours just three days after the end of Mumbai Indians’ rather disastrous 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign. While speculation brewed online on why this may have happened, the handle reappeared a few hours later. The speculation was further fuelled by the fact that five-time IPL champions MI had a rather dismal campaign this season. MI finished second to bottom in the league table, tied on eight points with bottom-placed Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) having won just four out of the 14 matches they played and lost 10. Pandya himself had a rather forgettable outing individually. He scored 206 runs in 10 matches but finished with a strike rate of just 138.25, a far cry from the 163.50 he managed last season and well below the kind of strike rate he is known to maintain. Pandya also managed just four wickets in the nine innings that he bowled in and ended with an economy of 11.42. Pandya was …

Mumbai Indians IPL 2026 review: Hardik Pandya took the heat, but MI’s disaster ran far deeper than captaincy alone

Mumbai Indians IPL 2026 review: Hardik Pandya took the heat, but MI’s disaster ran far deeper than captaincy alone

Published by Parlour News

“It has been a season of what-ifs and overall disappointing for all of us.” From left, Mumbai Indians’ Raj Bawa, captain Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah after Chennai Super Kings won the IPL 2026 match, in Chennai (PTI) That one line from Kieron Pollard on Sunday perhaps summed up Mumbai Indians’ IPL 2026 campaign better than the points table could. A season that began with hopes of building on last year’s playoff finish slowly spiralled into confusion, inconsistency and collective underperformance. While captain Hardik Pandya inevitably became the face of the criticism, Mumbai’s collapse ran far deeper than leadership alone. For one of the rarest times in franchise history, almost nothing aligned — not Rohit Sharma’s form, not Suryakumar Yadav’s explosiveness, not Tilak Varma’s consistency, and not even Jasprit Bumrah’s brilliance could rescue them from a season that never truly took flight. On paper, Mumbai looked one of the strongest squads in the competition. The experts could not agree more. Most, if not all, had the five-time champions in their predicted playoffs line-up. And why …

Pollard on Hardik Pandya’s captaincy in IPL 2026: ‘Will question certain things’

Pollard on Hardik Pandya’s captaincy in IPL 2026: ‘Will question certain things’

Published by Webster

4 min readMay 24, 2026 10:27 PM IST The Mumbai Indians (MI) ended a forgettable IPL 2026 campaign with a 30-run loss to Rajasthan Royals – their 10th of the season – and finished ninth on the points table, with eight points in 14 matches. One of the major talking points was Hardik Pandya’s captaincy and his impact on the field. Batting coach Kieron Pollard backed the 32-year-old’s captaincy skills, despite a hard season, adding that he tried what he could with the resources he had. “From a leadership perspective on Hardik, yes, it has not gone maybe as well as he would have wanted as an individual. It might not have gone as we would have wanted as a management staff. But one thing you know is that we have tried each and everything to give the best opportunity to lead the franchise, to do well,” Pollard said at the post-match press conference. “Again, no one is going to sit here and put blame or point fingers. I think when you lose, especially, you …

Royals take last IPL 2026 playoff berth by beating Mumbai on their home patch | Cricket News

Royals take last IPL 2026 playoff berth by beating Mumbai on their home patch | Cricket News

Published by Webster

5 min readMay 24, 2026 08:50 PM IST Synopsis: Jofra Archer’s all-round exploits help Rajasthan Royals beat Mumbai Indians by 30 runs and qualify for IPL Playoffs. The Mumbai Indians–Rajasthan Royals clash on Sunday had not just the attention of a packed Wankhede Stadium, but also the Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders camps. In the end, RR, helped by a collective batting effort and Jofra Archer’s brilliance, prevailed to knock the other two contenders out of the playoff race. All-round impact After many seasons of failing to hit his straps, Archer has bowled with renewed venom in IPL 2026, and came into the final league match in excellent rhythm. The strong crowd of schoolkids raised their voices to the highest decibel level when Rohit Sharma made his way to the centre, and his duel with Archer was the one to watch out for. The pacer got out-swing on his first two balls and then, off the fourth, got one to move away sharply. Rohit played down the wrong line, the ball took the edge, …

‘Release Hardik Pandya’: Michael Vaughan tells MI, proposes shock KKR captaincy move for IPL 2027

‘Release Hardik Pandya’: Michael Vaughan tells MI, proposes shock KKR captaincy move for IPL 2027

Published by Parlour News

The Mumbai Indians‘ season in the IPL 2026 ended much earlier. They were among the first teams to be eliminated from the race to the playoffs. And after all the scrutiny that has surrounded the franchise this season – like their star players not being in form, the players not functioning in unison and of course, Hardik Pandya‘s captaincy, which has faced the brunt of the criticism – finally the discussions around Mumbai have shifted to who they could retain or release. Former England captain Michael Vaughan made a shock proposal to the Mumbai Indians, which could, in turn, benefit the Kolkata Knight Riders as well. Mumbai Indians’ captain Hardik Pandya, right, and Kolkata Knight Riders’ captain Ajinkya Rahane during the toss (PTI) Speaking to Cricbuzz, Vaughan did not spare a second thought when asked about Hardik. “Release,” he said. But then, I added an outside-the-box suggestion. “Replace him with Cameron Green,” he said. The why of it came later, but Vaughan admitted he never saw the logic behind Hardik’s move back to Mumbai after …

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar gives big update on Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya’s fitness

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar gives big update on Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya’s fitness

Published by Webster

4 min readMay 20, 2026 01:04 PM IST Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya have two weeks time to prove their fitness or risk losing their spots in India’s ODI team for the upcoming series against Afghanistan. While both the players were named in the squad by the selection committee, chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar has reinstated that both Rohit and Hardik have to clear the test before joining the team. Rohit, who picked up a hamstring injury during the course of the IPL, spent a considerable time on the sidelines before making his comeback. Having featured mostly as a player whom the franchise substituted with an Impact Player, concerns still remain over whether he has retained 100 per cent fitness. Similarly, Pandya hasn’t taken the field since their defeat to Chennai Super Kings on May 2, with Suryakumar Yadav and then Jasprit Bumrah stepping in as captains. ALSO READ | Selectors send Rishabh Pant a clear message – perform in white-ball or wait Since the 2025 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai, Pandya …

Pant loses Test vice-captaincy, maiden call-up for Prince Yadav

Pant loses Test vice-captaincy, maiden call-up for Prince Yadav

Published by Webster

2 min readUpdated: May 19, 2026 05:05 PM IST KL Rahul has replaced Rishabh Pant as India’s Test vice-captain as the squad was announced for the side’s one-off Test and three-match ODI series against Afghanistan on Wednesday. Pant has also been dropped from the squad for India’s subsequent three-match ODI series against Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Ishan Kishan has earned a recall to the ODI squad as well. Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya have also been included in the Indian ODI squad, although their availability is subject to their fitness being cleared by the BCCI CoE. Maiden Test call-ups have been handed to left-arm spinners Manav Suthar and Harsh Dubey. Fast bowler Gurnoor Brar has received maiden call-ups to the Test and ODI squads both while fellow pacer Prince Yadav and has received a maiden call-up to the ODI squad alone. A notable ommission from the Test squad is Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler Auqib Nabi. Jasprit Bumrah has also been rested for the duration of the series, as is the case with veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. …

R Ashwin backs Hardik Pandya’s captaincy despite MI’s disaster IPL season

R Ashwin backs Hardik Pandya’s captaincy despite MI’s disaster IPL season

Published by Webster

3 min readMay 15, 2026 12:32 PM IST Hardik Pandya may have missed out on his team’s most recent matches this month, but sharp layers of criticism over the Mumbai Indians’ underwhelming IPL 2026 season have unfailingly fallen on him. MI lost seven of the nine matches under Hardik before he was sidelined by an injury earlier this month. In the last three matches in his absence, Mumbai have won two matches under two different captains, Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah. While Suryakumar led in a win and defeat against Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Bumrah oversaw Thursday’s win over Punjab Kings in Dharamsala. The scrutiny over Hardik’s captaincy has only heightened in recent weeks with the rumour mill floating stories of internal rifts in the MI camp yet again. Despite the underwhelming skipper Hardik found some support from his former India teammate, R Ashwin. “Honestly, when you have seasons like this, to pin the blame on the captain is quite unfair. Nobody has turned up. The team has failed to turn up …