New Delhi: Sanju Samson was batting with 85 runs off 48 balls. Chennai Super Kings were already running away with the game at Wankhede. Mumbai Indians still had two overs left. Hardik Pandya Left off, but the MI skipper bowled to Krish Bhagat, who was playing only his second IPL game.Bhagat scored 16 runs, and MI eventually suffered the biggest defeat in IPL history by 103 runs. In the end, it turned out to be an unnecessary over in the context of the match, but questions were raised about Hardik’s decision to opt against bowling the final over himself. MI head coach Mahila Jayawardene later called it an opportunity for the youngster (Bhagat) to “step up”.
Since the start of 2026, Hardik has bowled 60 balls (10 overs) at the death for India in eight innings, claiming five wickets and conceding an economy rate of 9.7. In the ongoing IPL, he has bowled just three overs in seven innings at this stage, taking one wicket and conceding 15.7 runs an over.In India colours, Hardik is the crisis manager, the player trusted in the last over of the World Cup final (T20 World Cup final 2024 vs South Africa two years ago at Kensington Oval). He also bowled the 19th over in the 2026 T20 World Cup semi-final against England at Wankhede.In T20Is, Hardik Pandya is India’s “clutch god” with the bat as well as the ball. But when he plays for Mumbai Indians, from 2024, that clutch god is nowhere to be seen. In Indian colours, Hardik Pandya is everywhere. In the blue and gold of MIC, from 2024, Hardik Pandya is nowhere to be found.
Hardik with the ball from 2024
From 2024, the year Hardik returned to MI from Gujarat Titans (GT), he bowled 108 balls in the first six overs for MI, conceding 219 runs at an economy of 12.17 and an average of 73.0 with three wickets.For India in T20Is, Hardik scored 394 runs from 290 balls in 31 innings in 1-6 overs. His economy for India has come down to just 8.15, and he averages 39.4 with 10 wickets.
Hardik Pandya’s T20 bowling numbers in overs 1-6 from 2024 (AI-generated image)
The same behavior occurs in the “death overs” between 16-20 overs.In Indian colours, Hardik has bowled 179 balls in 16-20 overs since 2024 and conceded 274 runs at an economy of 9.18. He averages 15.2, taking 18 wickets in the same period.For MI, Junior Pandya has given away 208 runs from 88 balls since 2024 and has an economy rate of 14.18. This means Hardik concedes five more runs per over when bowling for MI in the death overs than India in T20Is.
Hardik Pandya’s T20 bowling numbers in 16-20 overs from 2024
Significant difference in Hardik’s strike rate at the death
‘From 2024, between 16–20 overs, Hardik has played 302 balls in 26 innings for India, scoring 556 runs at a reliable 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 balls.For MI, Hardik Pandya’s numbers dropped drastically. Since 2024, the right-handed batsman has faced 173 balls between 16-20 overs in the IPL, scored 270 runs and has a strike rate of 156.1. Hardik averages 15.0 and hits a six every 11.53 balls.
Hardik Pandya’s T20 batting tally in 16-20 overs since 2024
Dig deeper and you’ll see the problem unfold.Since 2024, only five batsmen (Suriya, Tilak, Naman Dhir, Tim David, and Pandya) have played 50 or more balls for MI in 16–20 overs in the IPL. Among them, Hardik Pandya, the top run-scorer for MI in this period, has scored just 156.1 which is the worst among the five.The closest to Pandya is Tim David, who scored 181.42 when he was part of MI in 2024. Surya has scored at 204.71 with the highest strike rate in this period.Also for India, Pandya has scored the most runs (556) in 16-20 overs since 2024. But his strike rate is up to 184.11, the third best among all Indian batsmen who have faced at least 50 balls in a single innings.
Hardik Pandya reacts after hitting RCB captain Rajat Patidar for a six during the IPL match between MI and RCB in Mumbai.
The missing glow
The above figures do not suggest that MI’s dismal performance in two of the last three IPL seasons is due to Hardik, far from it. However, compared to his performance for India during the same period, the MI captain has not been the best for the franchise since his return in 2024.Whether the pressure of captaincy is a factor in this dip can only be answered by Hardik. But the numbers suggest that Hardik hasn’t had that much of an impact on Mumbai Indians since his return in 2024.
Hardik Pandya: Same player, different impact
For India, Hardik Pandya is the player who is trusted to bowl tough overs and finish matches with the bat. But since his return to Mumbai Indians in 2024, he has not had the same impact in the IPL. Statistics show that the player India depends on has looked different while playing for MI.
