The start of Hardik Pandya’s captaincy journey with Mumbai Indians in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) has been marked by disappointment, as his team suffered a narrow six-run defeat against Gujarat Titans on March 24. Pandya’s decision to bat at No. 7 has drawn significant criticism, especially after his brief innings of 11 runs off four deliveries. Despite being in a promising position at one point, the five-time champions couldn’t seal the victory.
Mohammed Shami expressed surprise at Pandya’s batting position, emphasizing that batting him at No. 7 essentially relegates him to a tailender role.
Shami remarked, “There is a lot of talk about left-right combination. I don’t understand such things. Last match also we talked about how much Pat Cummins is matured. You need to stay a step ahead. You should think, ‘I am the captain, I should take this responsibility.’ As far as Hardik is concerned, you have batted at No. 3 and No. 4 at Gujarat Titans, what is the problem in batting at No. 4 or 5 here in MI? Hardik at No. 7 basically becomes a tailender.”
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He further elaborated that had Pandya batted earlier, the outcome of the match might have been different. Shami dismissed comparisons to Dhoni’s batting strategy, highlighting the uniqueness of each captain’s mindset.
Former Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary weighed in, suggesting that Pandya’s decision to bat at No. 7 might not have been solely his own. Tiwary speculated that MI head coach Mark Boucher, along with the influence of cricketing legends like Sachin Tendulkar, could have played a role in the decision-making process.
“I feel it wasn’t his call. In Gujarat, I feel, only two people were running the game, Hardik and [Head Coach, Ashish] Nehra. In Mumbai dugout there are some big names present. So probably they might have influenced him to drop down the order because they have invested a lot on young players like Tilak Verma and Brevis. Mark Boucher will obviously listen to Sachin…he will then discuss with other members of the team management and then decide,” Manoj Tiwary remarked.
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The decision to push Pandya down the order raises questions about Mumbai Indians’ batting strategy and the dynamics within the team management. As the tournament progresses, Pandya and the Mumbai Indians will need to address these concerns to bounce back stronger in future matches.
