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Cricket PlayersMI missed the Ashish Nehra deal: Mumbai told to sack Hardik Pandya as captain; hand Jasprit Bumrah charge
Hardik Pandya-led Mumbai Indians, which have won just three games this season, have now failed to make the playoffs four times in the last six seasons.
Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar on Monday ridiculed Hardik Pandya as he urged the Mumbai Indians to take a tough call on his captaincy ahead of next season. Mumbai became the first team eliminated from the race to the playoffs this season after their eighth defeat on Sunday, against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Raipur.
Mumbai, which won just three games this season, has now failed to make the playoffs four times in the last six seasons since lifting their last IPL title in 2020. On two of those occasions, they finished at the bottom of the table. They are currently placed ninth, above only Lucknow Super Giants, the other team to suffer elimination on Sunday.
Following another disastrous season under Hardik, Manjrekar, speaking to Sportstar, reckoned Mumbai might be compelled to rethink the leadership position ahead of next season. However, the veteran batter’s comment came in response to a follow-up question, which was preceded by his desire to see Jasprit Bumrah lead the Indian team.
“I'd like to see Bumrah captain India, because I don't think anyone sees the game as well as he does. What he does with his bowling is not just about the action, it's also about anticipation, reading the batter, reading the situation and understanding pitches. I'm just a little disappointed that he doesn't seem interested in being captain in England. He didn't captain when Shubman Gill was made captain. But hopefully, at least in the Indian Premier League, he should get that shot,” he said.
When pressed on whether Mumbai should also consider Bumrah as an option in the wake of their heartbreaking elimination this season, Manjrekar did not shy away from admitting it, although his response came with a cheeky remark. He dived into the long-standing fan theory that the reason behind Hardik's struggles as MI captain, despite succeeding with Gujarat Titans, was the absence of Ashish Nehra in the Mumbai dugout. Manjrekar cheekily mentioned that Mumbai missed getting Nehra as part of the package deal with Hardik when the all-rounder switched franchises before the 2024 season.
“You actually caught what I was hinting at, because I think they might have to look beyond Hardik Pandya. Yeah, because that move certainly hasn't worked. It's not fair to Hardik as well. It's like a package deal. You know, if Hardik was going to come to Mumbai, then they should have got Ashish Nehra as well with him. But Ashish won't be with him. I'd really like to see Bumrah being given a shot because that is not as much of a burden on him as being a Test captain, where he has to stay fit and ready for every Test match,” he added.
Hardik and Nehra formed a successful combination in Gujarat Titans' first two IPL seasons, where they reached the final in successive seasons and won the title in their very first campaign in 2022. After Hardik's departure, Gujarat slumped to eighth position the following season, but recovered to finish third in 2025 and are currently pushing for a top-two finish in IPL 2026.
