“Hardik Pandya’s hitting ability going down….”: Irfan Pathan

Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan has raised concerns about Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya’s performance, particularly noting a worrying decline in his hitting ability. Under Hardik’s leadership, MI suffered a significant nine-wicket defeat against Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. During the match, Hardik only managed 10 runs off 10 balls and gave away 21 runs in his two overs.

On X (formerly Twitter), Pathan expressed his concerns, stating, “Hardik Pandya’s hitting ability is going down. That’s a big worry on the larger picture. At the Wankhede he is different but on pitches where there is little help is what is worrisome for him.”

Hardik’s performance this IPL season has been underwhelming amidst boos and trolling from the audience following his controversial return to Mumbai Indians as captain, taking over from the five-time IPL champion Rohit Sharma.

So far, he has scored 151 runs in eight matches at an average of 21.57 and a strike rate of 142.45, with a highest score of 39 and just seven sixes.

His bowling has also been ineffective, claiming only four wickets at an average of 46.50 and a strike rate of 25.50, with best figures of 2/43.

Since leading Gujarat Titans to a championship in their debut season in 2022 and a second-place finish in 2023, Hardik’s batting approach has become more conservative, with strike rates of 131 and 136 in those seasons respectively—significantly lower compared to his earlier years at MI, where his strike rates were much higher.