'Gave him every opportunity to lead the team in best possible way'; Mumbai Indians coach Pollard opens up about Hardik's captaincy

MUMBAI: Mumbai Indians was one of the first two teams to be knocked out from the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). In their final match of the season, Mumbai suffered a 30-run defeat to Rajasthan Royals, a result that helped Rajasthan secure a place in the playoffs. Mumbai managed to win only four out of their 14 matches this season. Fans have strongly criticized captain Hardik Pandya over the team’s poor performance. Interestingly, Hardik led the side in only two of those four wins, while Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah captained the team in one match each.

Now, Mumbai Indians batting coach Kieron Pollard has made an open statement about Hardik and the team’s disappointing season. Pollard said that neither the management nor Hardik is satisfied with Mumbai’s performance.

“From Hardik’s point of view as captain, things may not have gone the way he wanted. Even as a management staff, things did not happen the way we expected. But we tried to give him every opportunity to lead the franchise in the best possible way,” Pollard said.

"We do not blame any individual for defeats. Some matches are won, and some are lost, and the situation should be viewed from a collective team perspective," he said.

Meanwhile, the Mumbai camp has indicated that there will be detailed discussions with Hardik Pandya regarding the team’s defeat, future plans, and the changes needed going forward.

“Hardik kept trying to win, all of us kept trying, but things did not work in our favour. We need to heal from these setbacks and come back stronger within the next 12 months,” Pollard added.

Hardik Pandya first became Mumbai Indians captain in the IPL 2024 season after Rohit Sharma was removed from the role. Fans had then welcomed Hardik with boos, and Mumbai struggled badly that season. The team bounced back in 2025 by reaching the playoffs, but this year they once again had a disappointing campaign. Despite having several players from the T20 World Cup-winning squad, Mumbai’s early exit has left fans deeply disappointed.