All posts tagged: Mumbai Indians

‘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 …

Preity Zinta breaks silence after Punjab Kings get knocked out of IPL 2026: ‘From the highs to the lows…’

Preity Zinta breaks silence after Punjab Kings get knocked out of IPL 2026: ‘From the highs to the lows…’

Published by Parlour News

Punjab Kings entered IPL 2026 as last year’s finalists and exited the league stage in fifth place with 15 points, one short of the playoff cut. During the first half of the IPL season, Punjab Kings dominated the points table, winning their first six matches in a row and holding the number one position for nearly a month. However, in second half of IPL, the team struggled to win matches and, eventually on Sunday, it got eliminated from the playoffs race. Bollywood actress and Punjab Kings’ co-owner Preity Zinta at a 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 match. (Photo by TAUSEEF MUSTAFA / AFP) / — IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE — (AFP) What Preity said Actor and Punjab Kings co-owner Preity Zinta has reacted to the 2026 season and the outcome of her team. She took to her X account and wrote, “A big thank you 🙏 to all the supporters of PBKS for standing strong with us all through the rollercoaster ride of IPL 2026. From the highs …

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 …

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on his next big ambition

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on his next big ambition

Published by Webster

2 min readMay 25, 2026 03:21 PM IST Most young cricketers dream of scoring their first T20 century. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is already thinking far beyond that. In a candid chat with former England captain Kevin Pietersen on The Switch, the youngster revealed an ambition that instantly grabbed attention – he wants to score 200 in a T20 innings and break Chris Gayle’s iconic record of 175*. What made the moment memorable wasn’t just the scale of the dream, but how casually and confidently he spoke about it. The conversation began with Pietersen asking whether he enjoyed celebrating half-centuries. Sooryavanshi’s response was short, almost dismissive. “No, not that much.” ALSO READ | ‘Sooryavanshi has rattled Jaiswal’: Ashwin compares RR pair to ‘Sehwag-Chopra’ situation That single line revealed plenty about his mindset. For him, fifty runs aren’t an achievement to celebrate — they’re only the beginning. Pietersen then asked whether he preferred batting first or chasing in T20 cricket. Once again, the youngster kept it simple. “Anything, but I want to score 200 in T20.” Even in …

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 …

‘Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s display has rattled Yashasvi Jaiswal in IPL 2026’: R Ashwin

‘Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s display has rattled Yashasvi Jaiswal in IPL 2026’: R Ashwin

Published by Webster

3 min readMay 25, 2026 09:34 AM IST In the Vaibhav Sooryavanshi storm that has hit the IPL 2026 season, an unlikely casualty has been his senior opening partner and Rajasthan Royals vice-captain, Yashasvi Jaiswal. The India opener has endured a quiet season by his standards, with Sooryavanshi dominating their fast-scoring association, ranked the second-best among all IPL opening pairs. The 15-year-old has butchered bowling attacks with 53 sixes and 50 fours, aggregating 583 runs in 14 innings at a jaw-dropping 232.50 strike rate. Jaiswal’s shares dwindle in comparison: 397 runs at 159.43 with only 48 fours and 18 sixes. Former RR all-rounder R Ashwin said that Sooryavanshi’s surging presence has put unusual pressure on Jaiswal to succeed. While both openers failed to set up big scores during RR’s must-win match against the Mumbai Indians on Sunday, Jaiswal has struggled to temper his aggressive starts on most occasions this season. Ashwin expressed surprise with Jaiswal failing to recalibrate his batting flow with Sooryavanshi at the other end. ALSO READ | RR coach on Sooryavanshi: Been …

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 …

All-round Archer takes RR to playoffs

All-round Archer takes RR to playoffs

Published by Parlour News

Mumbai: Having created some of the most spectacular moments with the new ball in a season dominated by batters, Jofra Archer wasn’t going to loosen his hold in a tie Rajasthan Royals had to win. Archer was at his fiery best and Mumbai Indians simply succumbed to his powers at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. Rajasthan Royals’ Jofra Archer in action against Mumbai Indians. (AP) Archer’s all-round brilliance consisting of a crucial late-overs batting cameo, an outstanding three-over spell in the Powerplay, and a return to dismiss the rampaging Hardik Pandya for 34 (15b) at the back end of RR’s defence of 205 ruined any chances the eliminated hosts may have had to end their season on a high. The match was being played in front of 20,000 less privileged children in MI’s annual Education and Sports for All initiative. The Royals’ 30-run win in their final league game lifted them up to 16 points in the table, handing them the fourth playoff place. It dashed the playoffs hopes of Punjab Kings (15 points) and …

Knight Riders’ bowlers fashion key win over MI to keep playoff hopes alive

Knight Riders’ bowlers fashion key win over MI to keep playoff hopes alive

Published by Webster

Synopsis: Kolkata Knight Riders leave it late to beat MI by 4 wickets and keep play-offs hopes alive Kolkata Knight Riders kept their chances of reaching the playoffs alive and they had their bowlers to thank for it. After they restricted Mumbai Indians to 147/8, a fourth-wicket partnership between Rovman Powell and Manish Pandey steadied the innings as they got home with more than an over to spare. On a sultry evening with rain expected, KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane opted to chase on a ground where dew was likely to be a significant factor as the match progressed. Mumbai openers Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton started slowly, managing only a single boundary in the first couple of overs. With pressure building, Rickelton swung at Cameron Green in the third over, but the ball ballooned up and landed in Manish Pandey’s grasp. Naman Dhir lasted two balls, nicking behind to Angkrish Raghuvanshi, giving Green his second wicket. Rohit, meanwhile, slog-swept Saurabh Dubey for a six only to fall to the Vidarbha pacer for 15, leaving Mumbai …