At a glance
- Mumbai Indians eliminated from playoff contention
- Speculation Hardik set to be released after the IPL
- Manjrekar also thinks Bumrah should captain India
Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar believes that the Mumbai Indians should seriously think about changing their leadership strategy, and replace Hardik Pandya with Jasprit Bumrah, after a poor IPL campaign.
Five time champions Mumbai Indians were knocked out of contention for the IPL playoffs after a heartbreaking last-ball defeat to RCB on Sunday (10th May). With only three wins this season, there has been some criticism around Hardik’s captaincy from fans and experts alike.
There has also been some speculation surrounding Pandya’s release from MI after the IPL has finished.
Poor IPL for Hardik and Bumrah
Both Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah have had poor IPL’s so far. All-rounder Hardik has only scored 146 in eight innings, at 20.86. He has also only taken four wickets, with an economy rate of 11.9.
Bumrah’s IPL hasn’t been much better. He has only taken three wickets, with a better economy rate than Hardik’s at 8.51, by far his worst season since 2015.
Manjrekar’s Comments
Speaking to Sportstar, Manjrekar said that Bumrah possesses the tactical intelligence needed to lead both Mumbai Indians and potentially India in the future. He said:
“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.”
Manjrekar also believes that captaincy responsibilities in the IPL would not place the same physical burden as leading India in Test Cricket, stating:
“I’d really like to see Bumrah 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.”
The former batter, who played for India between 1987-1996, also questioned MI’s decision to bring back Pandya from Gujarat Titans ahead of the season. Hardik’s IPL 2022 success at Gujarat was primarily linked to coach Ashish Nehra. He added:
“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.”
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