Hardik Pandya vs Suryakumar Yadav! Tilak Varma settles the captaincy debate

Hardik Pandya’s captaincy has come under heavy scrutiny after the Mumbai Indians (MI) have lost four of their six games that they have played so far in the ongoing TATA Indian Premier League 2026 (TATA IPL 2026). Apart from the captaincy part, Hardik Pandya has been a disappointment as a player as well.

As Mumbai Indians gear up to face Chennai Super Kings in their next IPL 2026 clash on April 23 at the Wankhede Stadium, Tilak Varma has shared his experience of playing under the captaincy of both Hardik Pandya and India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav.

Tilak Varma refuses to choose best captain between Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma

Tilak Varma shared that Hardik’s style is full of energy, and he is always involved, always pushing players, and trying to lift the mood on the field. The young batter also shared an instance of MI’s last game against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad, where he smashed an unbeaten century.

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The MI captain looked quite intense while talking to Tilak during their partnership. However, the batter didn’t feel the pressure at all but went on to play a strong innings that helped the five-time champions to win that match by 99 runs against the Titans.

Speaking about Suryakumar’s style, Tilak said that he brings a calmer approach and thinks more about plans, match situations, and small details. However, the Hyderabad batter feels comfortable with both captains’ leadership styles, avoiding picking one over another.

I am enjoying playing under both captains: Tilak Varma

Tilak Varma said at the pre-match press conference, "To be honest, Surya bhai was a bit on the tactical side. Hardik bhai, he always backs the players and himself. If you saw the last game, he was saying, ‘Tu karega, tu karke dikhayega.' He keeps motivating players with his energy.

That’s his type of captaincy—that energy you can feel. Surya is more into the tactical side. Both are good in their aspects. I enjoyed playing under Surya bhai’s captaincy, and I am enjoying it under Hardik bhai’s captaincy as well.”

At the same time, Mumbai Indians are under pressure this season. There are also questions about the form of both Hardik and Suryakumar. They haven’t had big scores yet this season, but Tilak insisted that they are doing everything right and just need one good innings to get going.

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Surya bhai is not out of form: Tilak Varma

Tilak said that Suryakumar is not out of form. He is batting well and timing the ball nicely. He noted that sometimes a player gets out because of a good delivery or because they take risks in tough situations, citing the RCB match, where Suryakumar played his usual shot but got out.

He signed off by saying, “It’s just a matter of one innings. If that innings comes, he will be back in touch. The same thing happened in the World Cup. The first match against the USA—that was a very crucial inning. If it doesn’t go well in the first match of the World Cup, the team’s morale is a bit low. But he did it there. It’s just one innings, and he will be back.”