Ravichandran Ashwin has strongly defended Hardik Pandya, asserting that it is unjust to hold the captain solely accountable for Mumbai Indians' disappointing campaign in IPL 2026. MI, one of the most successful franchises in IPL history, became only the second team to be eliminated from playoff contention this season after managing just four victories in 12 matches. With Hardik also struggling with both bat and ball, criticism of his captaincy has escalated.
Ashwin Questions the Blame Game
Ashwin believes the criticism is misplaced. "I wouldn't review his captaincy this year at all. Honestly, when you have seasons like this, to pin the blame on the captain is quite unfair. Nobody has turned up. The team has failed to turn up," Ashwin told ESPNcricinfo.
Past Success at Gujarat Titans
The former India spinner highlighted Hardik's successful leadership stint at Gujarat Titans, where he guided the team to a title and a runners-up finish in two seasons, as evidence of his captaincy credentials. "He was there at Gujarat Titans. Had two fabulous seasons. So clearly, as a leader, he did something right there," Ashwin said.
Challenges of Replacing Rohit Sharma
Ashwin added that replacing Rohit Sharma as MI captain in 2024 was never going to be easy. "It's not easy to replace an incumbent Indian captain, white-ball captain, such as Rohit Sharma. Five titles in the IPL. He's won a T20 World Cup. You've got a lot of fandom going around in the country. You should have a thick skin to survive social media these days."
Concerns Over Hardik's Batting Form
Ashwin also expressed concern about Hardik's batting, noting that his timing issues could indicate an underlying physical problem. "With his batting, I found something quite interesting and strange — how late he's been on the ball. Is he going through something physically? We wouldn't know. But he's been late on hard-length deliveries."
Hardik has scored only 146 runs in eight innings this season, along with four wickets at an economy rate of 11.90. He also missed three matches due to a reported back issue.
Despite the struggles, Ashwin insisted that Hardik remains an invaluable player. "Hardik is a once-in-a-generation player. You don't find such players. If India finds itself in a certain T20 mastery now, Hardik's been a linchpin in that," he concluded.
