NEW DELHI: Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan slammed Hardik Pandya‘s captaincy on his return to Mumbai Indians as the five-time champions started their IPL 2024 campaign on a sour note after losing to last year’s runner-up Gujarat Titans.
Pathan questioned Hardik’s leadership acumen and specifically pointed out two major decisions which backfired for Mumbai Indians in their six-run defeat at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.Pathan highlighted Hardik’s decision-making during the match, particularly focusing on his bowling strategy. Hardik bowled two overs during the powerplay, including the opening over after winning the toss and opting to bowl first. However, he conceded 20 runs during his initial spell, which allowed the Gujarat Titans to gain momentum early in the innings.
“Hardik Pandya made big mistakes in the match. He bowled 2 overs himself in the powerplay which was a big mistake. He brought Jasprit Bumrah late into the attack,” Pathan shared his views in a video on his Instagram account.

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Pathan also criticised Hardik for his batting order decisions, particularly regarding the placement of Tim David ahead of himself. Pathan suggested that Hardik might have been trying to avoid facing Rashid Khan, the talented spinner from the opposition team, which Pathan viewed as a costly mistake.
“Secondly, when they were chasing, they sent Tim David higher up the order. He sent David when Rashid Khan had an over left. I felt Hardik Pandya maybe didn’t want to face Rashid Khan after having not played cricket for a long time. I won’t agree with the fact that there was an experienced Indian batter sitting in the dressing room and sent an overseas player under pressure against Rashid. They certainly missed a trick there,” Irfan added.
As a result, Pandya came into batting with just two overs remaining and Mumbai Indians facing a daunting task. With the required run rate escalating rapidly, Mumbai needed 19 runs off the last over.
Hardik made an immediate impact by smashing a six followed by a boundary, reigniting hopes for Mumbai. However, the experienced campaigner Umesh Yadav managed to strike back, dismissing Hardik with a crucial wicket, thereby tilting the match firmly in the favour of the Gujarat Titans.