'Injustice to Rohit': Ex-batter blames H Pandya for Mumbai’s slide
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Mumbai: The Mumbai Indians are under mounting pressure after a poor run in the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League, with captain Hardik Pandya facing sharp criticism following another defeat on Thursday.
The team has managed just one win in five matches and is placed second from the bottom of the points table. Their latest loss came at the Wankhede Stadium, where Punjab Kings, led by Shreyas Iyer, secured a seven-wicket win. Mumbai had opened the season with a victory over Kolkata Knight Riders but has since lost four consecutive matches.
Former India batter Manoj Tiwary has criticised Pandya’s leadership, calling it ineffective and urging that captaincy be handed back to Rohit Sharma, who led the franchise to five IPL titles.
Tiwary also questioned key tactical decisions, including Pandya promoting himself ahead of Rutherford and handing the new ball to an out-of-form Deepak Chahar. Pandya scored 14 off 12 balls, while Rutherford had a limited opportunity. The delayed introduction of Jasprit Bumrah also drew scrutiny, with the pacer yet to take a wicket this season.
Despite an unbeaten 112 from Quinton de Kock and a half-century from Naman Dhir, Mumbai posted 195/6. Punjab chased the target in 16.3 overs, powered by Prabhsimran Singh and Iyer, who registered a third straight half-century, keeping Punjab unbeaten while Mumbai’s campaign continues to slide.