“Hardik Pandya looks flattened, tired”: T20 World Cup-winning skipper’s strong reaction on MI skipper cricket news

Former cricketers Aaron Finch and Graeme Smith believe that India vice-captain Hardik Pandya looks tired, frustrated, under pressure and under his leadership, Mumbai Indians look like a confused unit as the five-time champions IPL. I am constantly struggling. Pandya once again shouted loudly at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Friday during another disappointing performance by Mumbai Indians, which they lost to Kolkata Knight Riders by 24 runs.

Mumbai Indians had made a positive start to the contest by scalping five wickets in quick succession to restrict KKR to 57 for five, but the visitors struggled to post 169 runs on the board.

In reply, Mumbai team was out for 145 runs in 18.5 overs despite Suryakumar Yadav’s 56 runs.

Pandya lasted just two balls as Mumbai’s batsmen once again posted disappointing figures on a two-speed track and suffered their eighth defeat in 11 matches this season.

“He looks really tired at the moment, he looks really tired and someone who is feeling the pressure. I feel for him; I’ve been in a situation myself where you personally “Whatever we’re trying isn’t working.” Star Sports quoted Finch as saying.

“When the team is not performing well, it is a very difficult situation. It is one thing where you are not performing and the team is winning – that is something that you will take as a captain. You Take all responsibility.” As captain for the team’s performance and that’s an incredibly difficult place to be, especially in this competition where it’s so brutal,” Finch said.

The former Australian opener admitted that Mumbai Indians should have won while chasing the target of 170 runs on a ground considered to be a batsman’s paradise.

“With dew falling at the Wankhede Stadium, you can expect them to chase 170. Normally it’s a beautiful place to bat. Yes, it was a bit unnatural, a bit more than what we saw in the way Been a two-way street,” Finch said.

Legendary South African captain Graeme Smith said MI have been a ‘confused team’ under Pandya, with a lot of changes being made with personnel.

He said, “Hardik has really struggled, he seems like a person under pressure. It has created a bit of chaos in the air, who knows what effect it has had on people. But even “The batting lineup also looks confused.” ,

“Tilak Verma and Naman Dheer were fighting in the middle order, Dheer was batting at No. 3, and Hardik was roaming all over the place. They should have batted Tilak (No. 3), Sky (No. 4) and Hardik throughout. In the season at (No.) 5, David at (No.) 6. Then, figure out your bowling units,” he said.

Smith said, “All around and all around, they have been a very confusing team this season and it has been extremely disappointing from one of the mega franchises of the IPL. The MI fanbase and a lot of people in the camp will be very sad.” ,

Former Australia vice-captain Shane Watson also criticized Pandya’s captaincy, saying that MI allowed KKR to get back into the game by not deploying their best bowler when they were at 57 for five.

Watson said, “It was a big mistake on the part of the Mumbai Indians leadership to keep bowling Naman Dheer when the situation was so critical (KKR were at 57-5), whether it was Hardik Pandya making the decisions or information coming from the sideline. Doing.” Told Jio Cinema.

“(Jasprit) Bumrah had bowled only one over at that stage, so (he) needed to bring him back into the game to try to break the partnership of Venkatesh Iyer and Manish Pandey, but he didn’t do that. Just let them cruise and build momentum in the partnership.” “Before you know it, he had not played a shot in anger and the partnership had reached the point where by the time he came, it was too late. There were a number of shocking decisions from the Mumbai Indians leadership, which It’s going to be hard to explain,” Watson said.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)