Pandya's strategies leave Smith puzzled; Pathan questions all-rounder's ordinary captaincy
The new season of the Indian Premier League has seen Mumbai Indians struggle under the leadership of Hardik Pandya, with the five-time champions suffering their second loss in as many matches. Several former cricketers have raised questions about the tactics employed by Pandya during MI's high-scoring defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Legendary Australia batter Steve Smith, who is part of the broadcast panel for Star Sports, expressed his surprise at some of the decisions taken by Pandya. Specifically pointing out Hardik's handling of star pacer Jasprit Bumrah, Smith said bringing back India's premier fast bowler only in the 13th over when SRH had already scored 173, was a missed opportunity. With boundaries being scored all around, Smith opined that Bumrah should have been handed the ball sooner in an attempt to stem the flow of runs.
Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan also voiced his criticism of Pandya's captaincy, saying it has been rather inconsistent so far. In a tweet, Pathan questioned Hardik for keeping Bumrah out of the attack for too long during the Hyderabad innings. He further highlighted that Mumbai's chase got off to a slow start with the bat as well, with Pandya himself scoring at a strike rate lower than what was required to keep up with the mounting run rate.
While it is still early days in the tournament, the shaky start has already led to scrutiny of Hardik's strategies and decision making from prominent voices in the cricket world. With back-to-back defeats putting them on the backfoot, Mumbai Indians will hope their captain can learn from the errors and guide the team to success going forward in IPL 2024.
