Former New Zealand fast bowler Mitchell McClenaghan has urged Mumbai Indians skipper to play with intent against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai in the ongoing IPL 2026 on Wednesday. Pandya hasn’t been in the best of forms in the ongoing season as he has failed to lead from the front.
Pandya has scored 97 runs in six matches at an average of 19.40 and a strike rate of 140.57 in the 19th edition of the IPL. The MI skipper hasn’t been able to provide the finishing touches.
Mitchell McClenaghan said on his Star Sports, “With the bat, I honestly don’t mind if Hardik comes out if you’ve got the structure of the top four where you’ve got Rohit, de Kock, Naman Dhir, and Will Jacks. I actually don’t mind if he comes out with intent just to take on the bowling. You say he’s been struggling with the short ball, but that’s also because he’s been trying to manage the innings as well.”
“And from what I’ve seen, Hardik going back a few years, if he comes out with intent straight away and has an impact on the game, then he’s considered a better IPL player. So I’d be looking for him to be carefree. I don’t care if he gets out in the first three or four balls. I want him to have an impact because I know I’ve got Suryakumar Yadav at the other end or I’ve got Sherfane Rutherford,” he added.
On the other hand, former Indian batter Cheteshwar Pujara has highlighted that Pandya is looking to hit the ball too hard and he should focus on his timing.
He said, “I think what I’ve noticed in his batting (Hardik Pandya) is whenever he walks into bat and the mode of dismissals comes when he’s looking to hit the ball too hard, he’s losing his shape. He’s at his best when he’s just looking to time the ball because he’s very strong. He has got good bat swing as well.
“So when you just look to time the ball, you maintain that shape. You also get into better positions to strike the ball. But when you are just trying to muscle the ball out of the ground, you lose that shape. You also don’t focus on the ball as much as when you are looking to time it. So it’s about just looking to time the ball. Try and keep your eyes on the ball because he’s also losing his eyes on the ball when he’s just trying to muscle it out of the park,” he added.
Pandya will look to bounce back to form against the Orange Army.
