New Delhi: Sanju Samson struck 85 off 48 balls. Chennai Super Kings have registered victory at the Wankhede Stadium. Mumbai Indians still have two overs to play Hardik Pandya Left, but the MI captain threw the ball to Krish Bhagat, who was playing just his second IPL match.Bhagat scored 16 runs as MI suffered its biggest defeat in IPL history with a final margin of 103 runs. Ultimately, it was an inconsequential over in the match, but questions were raised over Hardik’s decision not to bowl the last over to himself. MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene later described it as an opportunity for the youngster (Bhagat) to “step up”.
Since the start of 2026, Hardik has bowled 60 balls (10 overs) for India in eight innings, taking 5 wickets and conceding a wicket rate of 9.7. In the ongoing IPL, he has bowled only 3 overs in 7 innings at this stage, taking one wicket and conceding 15.7 runs per over.Hardik is a crisis manager in the Indian uniform and a trusted player in the World Cup final (the 2024 T20 World Cup final against South Africa at Kensington Oval two years ago). He also batted No. 19 at the Wankhede in the 2026 T20 World Cup semi-final against England.In T20Is, Hardik Pandya is India’s “god of truth” with both bat and ball. But since 2024, when he played for Mumbai Indians, the clutch god disappeared. In Indian colours, Hardik Pandya is everywhere. Hardik Pandya has been missing since 2024 in MI’s Blue and Gold.
Hardik holds the ball from 2024
Since 2024 (i.e. since Hardik returned to MI from Gujarat Titans (GT)), he has bowled 108 balls in the first six overs of MI, conceding 219 runs with an economy of 12.17 and an average of 3 wickets of 73.0.In India’s T20Is, Hardik conceded 394 runs in 290 deliveries in 31 innings from overs 1-6. His economy in India dropped to just 8.15, while his average economy in 10 wickets was 39.4.
Hardik Pandya’s T20 bowling numbers in overs 1-6 since 2024 (AI generated image)
The same pattern occurs in the “death overs” between the 16th and 20th rounds.In the Indian team since 2024, Hardik has conceded 274 runs off 179 balls in overs 16-20 with an economy rate of 9.18. He averaged 15.2 and took 18 wickets in the same period.For MI, Pandya, a junior, has conceded 208 runs in 88 balls since 2024 and his economy rate is 14.18. This means Hardik conceded 5 more runs per over while bowling for MI in the death overs compared to India in T20Is.
Hardik Pandya’s T20 bowling numbers in overs 16-20 since 2024
Significant difference in Hardik’s strike rate in ‘Death’
‘Since 2024, between the 16th and 20th overs, Hardik has scored 556 runs off 302 balls in 26 innings for India at a strike rate of 184.1. The all-rounder averaged 29.3 with the bat during the same period and struck six balls every 7.7 balls.For MI, Hardik Pandya’s numbers dropped sharply. Since 2024, the right-handed batsman has faced 173 balls and scored 270 runs in 16-20 overs of IPL, with his strike rate falling to 156.1. Hardik averages 15.0 points per game and has six hits every 11.53 balls.
Hardik Pandya’s T20 knocks in overs 16-20 since 2024
Dig deeper and you’ll find the problem laid bare.Since 2024, only five batsmen (Suriya, Tilak, Naman Dhir, Tim David and Pandya) have hit 50 or more balls for MI in rounds 16 to 20 of the IPL. Among them, although Hardik Pandya was the highest MI scorer during this period, his score was only 156.1, which was the worst among the five.The closest to Pandya is Tim David, who scored 181.42 in 2024 while playing for MI. Surya’s score was the highest during this period at 204.71.The same is true for India, with Pandya scoring the most points (556) in overs 16-20 since 2024. But his strike rate of 184.11 is the third-highest among all Indian batsmen who have faced at least 50 balls in the same phase.
Hardik Pandya reacted after RCB captain Rajat Patidar hit a six during the IPL match between MI and RCB in Mumbai.
missing halo
The above figures do not suggest that MI’s dismal performances in two of the past three IPL seasons are solely the fault of Hardik, nothing could be further from the truth. However, the MI skipper has not been at his best with the team since his return in 2024 compared to his performance in the Indian team during the same period.Whether captaincy pressure is a factor in this decline is a question that only Hardik himself can answer. But the numbers show that Hardik has not had the same impact for Mumbai Indians since his return in 2024.
Hardik Pandya: Same player, different impact
For Team India, Hardik Pandya is a dependable player who can bowl the tough overs and finish the innings with the bat. But since returning to Mumbai Indians in 2024, he has not made the same impact in the IPL. The data shows that the players India relied on looked different while playing for MI.
