Former India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has supported Hardik Pandya’s captaincy amidst Mumbai Indians’ disappointing performance in IPL 2026. Ashwin emphasized that blaming Pandya alone for the team’s poor results is unfair, considering the collective failure of the team this season.
Ashwin pointed out the challenges Pandya faced upon returning to Mumbai Indians in 2024 after leading Gujarat Titans to success. He highlighted the pressure of replacing Rohit Sharma as captain and the high expectations from fans, stressing the need for resilience in handling such situations.
Regarding Pandya’s struggles this season, Ashwin expressed concerns about his batting form, particularly noting timing issues and being late on hard-length deliveries. He raised questions about potential physical issues affecting Pandya’s performance and suggested a need for recalibration in certain aspects of his game.
Despite Mumbai Indians’ overall struggles and Pandya’s individual challenges, Ashwin praised Pandya as a unique talent crucial to India’s T20 success. He acknowledged Pandya’s value as a player, emphasizing that a down season can be expected after significant achievements, with the main concern being his batting timing.
