Rohit Sharma back as Mumbai Indians captain? Hardik Pandya’s mid-season sacking receives backing

Former Team India cricketer Manoj Tiwary slammed Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Hardik Pandya over his disappointing performances in IPL 2026. Tiwary stated that the all-rounder should step down from the role and hand back leadership duties to former captain Rohit Sharma to improve the team’s results.

MI posted a total of 195/6 at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, April 16. Quinton de Kock smashed an unbeaten 112 and Naman Dhir added a crucial 50. However, Punjab Kings (PBKS) chased the target comfortably, with Prabhsimran Singh and Shreyas Iyer guiding MI to their fourth consecutive defeat.

It’s Very Important To Be Proactive As A Captain - Manoj Tiwary Criticizes Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya criticized his teammates after their fourth consecutive defeat, asking them to take responsibility for poor performances. Manoj Tiwary disagreed with these remarks and questioned Pandya’s own performances and tactical decisions this season.

Tiwary also pointed out how Rohit Sharma brought success to the Mumbai Indians. The former batter called the current captaincy approach weak and urged Pandya to be more proactive.

“From where will ownership come? One has to look at oneself as well. You need to see how you have been playing. According to me, just because you are not having success this year doesn't mean the mistakes happened only this year. You need to look at the root cause as well. From 2015-2023, Rohit Sharma helped the Mumbai Indians win several trophies,” said Tiwary on Cricbuzz.

“In 2023, there was no trophy. In 2024, there was no trophy, and the chances of the same happening are high this year too. I think the captaincy is weak. I don't want to be harsh. But Hardik is not leading the team the way it should be. It's very important to be proactive as a captain,” he added.

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Hardik Pandya Shouldn’t Have Promoted Himself - Manoj Tiwary

Mumbai Indians were well placed at 134/3 in the 14th over after Naman Dhir scored 50. However, Hardik Pandya promoted himself to No. 5 ahead of Sherfane Rutherford during the death overs. Manoj Tiwary criticized the decision after Pandya managed only 14 runs off 12 balls.

“Hardik shouldn't have promoted himself against the Punjab Kings. He scored 14 runs off 12 balls. Sherfane Rutherford just got five balls. If Rutherford had played as many balls, he would have hit 3-4 sixes. Hardik Pandya thought he could do it. Yes, he could have done it,” said Tiwary.

Rutherford had played a strong knock of 71 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) but faced only five balls against Punjab Kings. Meanwhile, the MI middle order struggled, with Suryakumar Yadav out for a golden duck and Tilak Varma scoring just eight runs.

There Is No Point In Giving Jasprit Bumrah The Second Over - Manoj Tiwary

Manoj Tiwary also questioned the bowling strategies used by Hardik Pandya. He criticized the decision to start with Deepak Chahar while delaying the use of Jasprit Bumrah in the powerplay. Tiwary stated that Pandya should consider handing the role back to Rohit Sharma.

“You should have pushed Rutherford up. And secondly, there is no point in giving Jasprit Bumrah the second over when you are not giving him the first. Deepak Chahar just isn't able to swing the ball," Tiwary stated.

"Shreyas Iyer showed outstanding captaincy, whereas the Mumbai Indians' captaincy was very weak. I think that if a solution is needed, Hardik should step back from the captaincy and hand the responsibility back to Rohit. When you removed Rohit, you did an injustice,” he concluded.

Pandya also struggled with the ball, conceding 39 runs in three overs. The all-rounder took over as Mumbai Indians captain in 2024 and is leading the side for the third season.

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