IPL 2026: Kieron Pollard raises questions about MI captain Hardik Pandya

Mumbai Indians batting coach Kieron Pollard stopped short of questioning Hardik Pandya’s captaincy following another disappointing season for the franchise in the Indian Premier League. Mumbai Indians finished ninth in the points table this season, marking the second time in three years that Hardik’s side finished in the bottom two.

Captain Hardika Pandya has largely failed to deliver the results Mumbai Indians would have hoped for, despite the franchise boasting one of the strongest squads in the competition in all three seasons. After being heavily booed during his first season as captain in 2024, Hardik managed to stabilize things somewhat in 2025, but the campaign fell apart again in 2026.

I’M GOING TO ASK SOME THINGS: POLLARD

After India’s triumph in the 2026 T20 World Cup, Mumbai Indians were expected to benefit from their strong Indian core. Instead, the side struggled with consistency and failed to string together a consistent run of performances throughout the tournament.

Much of the criticism fell on Hardik, whose tactical decisions and leadership were under scrutiny throughout the season.

In the post-match press conference after the last match of the season in Mumbai, Pollard admitted that neither the management nor Hardik himself would be happy with the way the campaign went.

“From a management perspective for Hardik, yes, it may not have gone as well as he would have liked as an individual. It may not have gone as well as we would have liked as executives. But one thing you know is that we have tried everything to give the best opportunity to lead the franchise to do well,” Pollard said.

“Again, nobody’s going to sit here and blame or point fingers. I think when you lose, especially, you have to look at it from a collective perspective. So you win some, you lose some.”

MI TO DISCUSS HARDIK PANDYA

However, Pollard indicated that discussions about the team’s future and possible changes would take place internally after a thorough assessment of the season.

“But at the end of the day I’m going to question certain things. He tried. We all tried. And it just didn’t work out for us. So again, as has been answered before, you sit back, talk and see what’s best. You never know what’s going to happen. For us in the meantime, let’s just lick our wounds and hopefully come back stronger in 12 months,” the former Mumbaier added.

Hardik Pandya has faced criticism for both his on-field strategies and his off-field personality this season, with many fans and pundits questioning his leadership approach during Mumbai Indians’ underwhelming campaign.

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Issued by:

Kingshuk Kusari

Published on:

May 25, 2026 0:42 AM IST

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