DC vs MI: Hardik Pandya's captaincy will deny Mumbai Indians a playoffs spot, sensationally claims Manoj Tiwary

Former Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary lashed out at the Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya for his poor captaincy in the game against Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. He stated that if the all-rounder does that kind of captaincy in the tournament then the team won't make it into the playoffs.

The disappointing time for Mumbai Indians in the ongoing IPL 2024 continued as they faced a 9-wicket thrashing at the hands of Rajasthan Royals in the 38th game of the tournament. The home team dominated the opposition with both bat and ball at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.

Mumbai Indians had a poor outing with the bat first as they managed just 179 runs on a pitch, where 200 looked a good target. After that with the ball, they looked clueless and also were sloppy on the field, dropping fee crucial catches that cost them the match at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.

Hardik Pandya's captaincy yet again came under scanner after Mumbai Indians suffered a disappointing loss. The all-rounder was questioned by a lot of fans and experts for the usage of his bowlers and the latest to join the bandwagon is former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary.

Manoj Tiwary lashed out at Hardik Pandya for not giving Jasprit Bumrah the first over in the match. He pointed out that the all-rounder taking the new ball and getting hit for two balls took the shine off the ball. Speaking to Cricbuzz, he explained:

"If you have Jasprit Bumrah in the line-up why will you not bowl him in the first over? Buttler came off a hundred, Jaiswal was not in the best form, you need to give your best bowler the best chance of picking a wicket.

When Hardik Pandya came in, he got hit for 2 boundaries and that took the shine away from the new ball slightly, and the margin of swing reduced. Things got easier for the batter."

Hardik Pandya took the new ball with Jasprit Bumrah getting the second over. After that in the middle overs when RR batters were going great guns, the all-rounder didn't introduce Bumrah and Gerald Coetzee into the attack.

If this kind of captaincy continues, MI will not make the playoffs - Manoj Tiwary

Manoj Tiwary further stated that if Hardik Pandya continues to make errors like this Mumbai Indians will not qualify for the playoffs of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. He made a huge point, saying that players have not bought into Pandya as captain. He added:

"If this kind of captaincy continues, MI are not making the playoffs. Previously, players were with Rohit Sharma. Now it feels like that MI players have not bought into Hardik Pandya as the captain of the side."

Mumbai Indians have faced 5 losses in the 8 games that they have played. They will be next seen in action when they will take on Delhi Capitals in their next game. The match will be played at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on 27th April.