Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary has defended Hardik Pandya amid heavy criticism for his leadership in the ongoing IPL 2026 season.
Tiwary said that Pandya is being unfairly targeted for the poor performance of Mumbai Indians (MI), adding that his teammates have not supported him enough during IPL 2026.
key points:
- Manoj Tiwari supported Hardik Pandya amid criticism
- MI players blamed for lack of support and inconsistency
- Mumbai Indians lost to CSK by eight wickets
What happened?
Mumbai Indians suffered an eight-wicket defeat against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday, May 2. MI scored 159/7 after electing to bat first.
Super Kings achieved the target with 11 balls remaining. This is Mumbai Indians’ seventh defeat of the season.
No one is standing with Hardik Pandya – Manoj Tiwari
Speaking on Cricbuzz, Manoj Tiwary expressed his sympathy for Hardik Pandya during the difficult IPL 2026 season.
He said that a captain must earn the trust of the dressing room, but in the current setup, Pandya lacks the support to lead Mumbai Indians effectively.
Tiwary said, “It was already over for me. When I sit here, I speak openly about what I see. Based on the cricket I have seen, a captain has to win the trust of every player; you have to be a leader. However, it seems no one is standing by Hardik. The support he needs is not there.”
Other players will have to take responsibility- Manoj Tiwari
Manoj Tiwary criticized Mumbai Indians players for failing to take responsibility for their inconsistent performances. He pointed to the poor form of key batsmen like Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Verma and raised questions about how the team can deliver results without collective consistency.
“Yes, the captain has a role, and in my opinion, he is not playing well. But beyond that, other players must take responsibility. For example, Surya is not performing consistently on a daily basis, and Tilak has not maintained his form after a good match. With such inconsistency in the team, how can you give results? It is very disappointing,” Tiwary said.
Despite the presence of international captains like Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah, Mumbai Indians are struggling with inconsistency. No batsman has crossed the 300-run mark, while Allah Ghazanfar is the only bowler in the list of top 30 wicket-takers to take more than 10 wickets this season.
The campaign is 99.999% over – Murali Karthik on Hardik Pandya-led Mumbai Indians
Former India spinner Murali Karthik dismissed any real playoff chances for Mumbai Indians this season. He pointed out that the points table scenario makes it almost impossible for the five-time champions to make the top four, even if they win all their remaining matches.
“Look, you have five matches left. I’m saying forget who you are playing against – even if you win five out of five, you only reach 14 points. If you look at the table right now, PBKS, RCB, SRH and RR are all sitting around 12 or 13 points. Even if those teams win only two or three more games, they will be ahead,” Karthik said.
“Even if Mumbai wins every remaining match, 14 is their maximum limit. Meanwhile, the top four teams still have games in hand. Punjab Kings have six matches left; RCB and SRH have five; Rajasthan have four. MI will need a massive overhaul to qualify. As things stand, the other teams are well ahead, and even GT is struggling to climb up from the bottom. I would say the campaign 99.999% is over,” he concluded.
Mumbai Indians are currently placed ninth in the points table with just four points and a net run rate of -0.803. They will next face Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Monday, May 4 at the Wankhede Stadium.
questions to ask
- Question – Why is Hardik Pandya being criticized?
- Answer – Mumbai Indians have faced criticism due to their poor performance in IPL 2026.
- Question – What did Manoj Tiwari say about Hardik Pandya?
- A – He defended Pandya and said that the captain was not getting enough support from his teammates.
- Question – Can Mumbai Indians still qualify for the playoffs?
- A – It’s highly unlikely, as they are currently bottom of the table.
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