Ashwin defends Hardik Pandya amid MI’s disappointing campaign.

Hardik Pandya (Image credit: IPL)

New Delhi: Ravichandran Ashwin has come out strongly in support of Hardik PandyaIt is unfair to insist that the captain is solely responsible. Mumbai IndiansA disappointing IPL 2026 campaign.MI, one of the most successful franchises in IPL history, became the second team to be eliminated from the play-off contention this season after just four wins from 12 matches. With Hardik’s lean run with both bat and ball, criticism surrounding his captaincy has intensified.Ashwin, however, believes that the allegation is wrong.“I will not review his captaincy this year. Honestly, when you have seasons like this, it is quite unfair to blame the captain. Nobody has come. The team has failed to change,” Ashwin told ESPNcricinfo.‘You’re asking him to do too much’The former India spinner pointed to Hardik’s successful leadership tenure at Gujarat Titans, where he guided the team to the title and runner-up finish in two seasons, as proof of his captaincy credentials.“He was there at Gujarat Titans. He had two great seasons. So obviously, as a leader, he did something there,” Ashwin said.Ashwin added that taking his place. Rohit Sharma Being MI captain in 2024 has never been easy.“It’s not easy to replace a white-ball captain like Rohit Sharma, the current Indian captain. Five titles in the IPL. He’s won a T20 World Cup. You’re well-liked in the country. You have to have thick skin to survive on social media these days.”Concern over Hardik’s batting formAshwin also expressed concern over Hardik’s batting, saying his timing issues suggest there may be an underlying physical problem.“With his batting, I found something very interesting and strange — how late he came to the ball. Is he going through something physically? We don’t know. But he’s been late with hard length deliveries.”Hardik has scored just 146 runs in eight innings this season, taking four wickets at an economy of 11.90. He could not even play three matches due to back issue.Still, Ashwin insisted that the all-rounder remains invaluable.“Hardik is a once-in-a-generation player. You don’t get players like that. If India now specializes in a certain T20, Hardik has been a lynchpin in that,” he added.