NEW DELHI: Sanju Samson was batting on 85 off 48 balls. Chennai Super Kings were already running away with the game at the Wankhede. Mumbai Indians still had two overs of Hardik Pandya left, but the MI skipper tossed the ball towards Krish Bhagat, who was playing just his second IPL game.
Bhagat went for 16 runs, and MI eventually faced the biggest defeat by runs in IPL history, by 103 runs. In the end, it turned out to be an inconsequential over in the context of the match, but questions were raised about Hardik’s decision to opt against bowling the last over himself. MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene later described it as an opportunity for the youngster (Bhagat) “to step up”.
Since the beginning of 2026, Hardik has bowled 60 balls (10 overs) at the death for India in eight innings, taking five wickets and conceding an economy rate of 9.7. In the ongoing IPL, he has bowled just three overs in that phase across seven innings, taking one wicket and conceding 15.7 runs an over.
In India colours, Hardik is the crisis manager, the player trusted with the final over of a World Cup final (at Kensington Oval two years ago in the T20 World Cup final 2024 vs South Africa). He also bowled the 19th over at the Wankhede in the 2026 T20 World Cup semi-final against England.
In T20Is, Hardik Pandya is India’s “Clutch God” with the bat as well as with the ball. But when he plays for Mumbai Indians, since 2024, that clutch god is invisible. In India colours, Hardik Pandya is everywhere. In MI’s Blue and Gold, since 2024, Hardik Pandya is nowhere.
Hardik with the ball since 2024
Since 2024, the year Hardik returned to MI from Gujarat Titans (GT), he has bowled 108 balls in the first six overs for MI, conceding 219 runs at an economy of 12.17 and averaging 73.0 with three wickets.
For India in T20Is, Hardik has conceded 394 runs in 290 deliveries of 31 innings in overs 1-6. His economy for India drops to just 8.15, and he averages 39.4 with 10 wickets.
The same pattern follows in the “death overs” too, between overs 16-20.
In India colours, Hardik has bowled 179 balls in overs 16-20 and conceded 274 runs at an economy of 9.18 since 2024. He has averaged 15.2, taking 18 wickets in the same period.
For MI, the junior Pandya has conceded 208 runs in 88 balls since 2024 and his economy rate has been 14.18. This means Hardik concedes five more runs per over when bowling for MI in death overs compared to India in T20Is.
The striking difference in Hardik’s strike rates in ‘death
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Since 2024, between overs 16-20, Hardik has played 302 balls in 26 innings for India, scoring 556 runs at a convincing strike rate of 184.1. The all-rounder has averaged 29.3 with the bat in the same period while hitting a six every 7.7 ball.
For MI, Hardik Pandya’s numbers fall drastically. Since 2024, the right-handed batter has faced 173 balls in the IPL between overs 16-20, scoring 270 runs and his strike rate falls to 156.1. Hardik has averaged 15.0 and hits a six every 11.53 balls.
Dig deep and you’ll find the problem laid bare.
Since 2024, only five batters (Surya, Tilak, Naman Dhir, Tim David, and Pandya) have played 50 or more balls for MI in overs 16-20 in the IPL. Among those, Hardik Pandya, while scoring the most runs for MI in this period, has struck at just 156.1 which is the worst among the five.
The closest to Pandya is Tim David, who scored at 181.42 when he was part of MI in 2024. Surya has scored with the highest strike rate in this period, at 204.71.
For India too, Pandya has scored the most runs (556) in overs 16-20 since 2024. But his strike rate shoots up to 184.11, which is the third best among all Indian batters who have faced at least 50 balls in the same phase.
The missing aura
The above numbers do not suggest that MI’s dismal performance in two of the last three IPL seasons has all been due to Hardik, far from it. However, the MI captain has not been at his best for the franchise since his return in 2024, compared to his performance for India during the same period.
Whether captaincy pressure is the factor for this dip is the question that only Hardik himself can answer. But numbers tell that Hardik hasn’t had the same impact for Mumbai Indians since his return in 2024.
For India, Hardik Pandya is the player trusted to bowl difficult overs and finish matches with the bat. But since returning to Mumbai Indians in 2024, he has not had the same impact in the IPL. The numbers show that the player India depends on has looked different while playing for MI.