Are Mumbai Indians happier when Hardik Pandya is not playing? Former India captain and coach Kris Srikkanth feels this after seeing how MI played and celebrated during their win over Punjab Kings in Dharamsala on Thursday 14th.
With Hardik still sidelined and Suryakumar Yadav also missing a match, Jasprit Bumrah was installed as the alternate captain. There immediately seemed to be a new energy in the bowling group as Mumbai managed to destroy Punjab in the middle overs with Shardul Thakur taking four wickets.
PBKS vs MI: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
Tilak Varma’s blitz eventually ensured they won the final, leading to massive celebrations in Mumbai led by Rohit Sharma.
Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel that firstly it was a good move to have Bumrah as captain as he was proactive with his calls.
“It’s a good choice. I think Bumrah coming in as captain is a fantastic move,” Srikkanth said.
Srikkanth said there was a noticeable shift in energy within the party since Hardik was not there and they showed the will to succeed.
“Definitely, there’s definitely a problem there. The mood on the team was definitely lighter. The team suddenly looks more unified overall.”
“Surya didn’t play in that match either. He didn’t play the match for personal reasons, he didn’t play the match. But whatever it is, the young side suddenly says what you say. They came and Deepak Chahar is bowling well. That fellow Raj Angad Bawa is bowling decently. Everyone is performing brilliantly. Tilak Varma was brilliant. Ryan Rickleton crushed and dominated with aggressive hitting.”
“Overall, as you said, the will to win, they will succeed. Even when they were down, they showed the will to succeed. That’s the key in cricket. That energy was there,” Srikkanth said.
‘BUMRAH WAS SMILING ALL THE TIME’
Srikkanth said that even Bumrah looked happy and was giving the other bowlers confidence to perform well.
“And if you look at the bowling as well, even Bumrah was smiling all the time. He gave a lot of confidence to the bowlers. And I thought Bumrah’s captaincy made a huge difference to people like Deepak Chahar. And of course Shardul Thakur, because otherwise they miss free deliveries and runs. They all took wickets today,” Srikkanth said.
Hardik’s future with MI was in the limelight for some time, but Shardul dismissed the notion that the all-rounder would be traded after the season.
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Published on:
May 15, 2026 09:52 IST
