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'What’s up with proven batsmen in team?': Former MI coach says Hardik Pandya should not be made scapegoat
TL;DR
Former MI coach Robin Singh defends Hardik Pandya after a heavy loss to CSK in IPL 2026, emphasizing that the captain shouldn't be the sole scapegoat for the defeat.
Key points
- Robin Singh supports Hardik Pandya after MI's loss
- MI lost to CSK by 103 runs in IPL 2026
- Sanju Samson scored an unbeaten 101 runs for CSK
- MI's batting struggled, with only two players scoring above 30
- Three MI batters were dismissed for ducks
Mumbai IndiansChennai Super KingsHardik PandyaSanju Samson
Former Mumbai Indians batting coach Robin Singh has come out in support of MI captain Hardik Pandya after they suffered a 103-run loss to Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2026 on Thursday.
Mumbai were outplayed as Sanju Samson scored an unbeaten 101 off 54 balls, hitting 10 fours and six sixes at a strike rate of 187.04. Samson reached his century on the last ball of the innings with a six as CSK finished on 207/6 in 20 overs.
In reply, MI’s batting collapsed. Only Suryakumar Yadav (36) and Tilak Varma (37) crossed double figures. Three batters were out for ducks, while Hardik also failed with the bat, scoring just one run off two balls before being dismissed by Noor Ahmad.
After the match, former MI coach Robin Singh posted on X and said the captain alone should not be blamed for the defeat.
"Seeing the fallout of comments after MI's loss vs CSK at the IPL last night .. and having been part of their management until few years ago .. I feel it is quite impossible to blame just the captain for this debacle", he wrote.
"What's up with proven international batsmen with the target in front of them ?? Are they not supposed to keep the run rate achievable?? That's the role of each and every player.. So who decides to chase all the time upon winning the toss ?? For clearly it's not working", he added.
"Agreed there were poor decisions made by the captain but There are so many international captains in the team … why can’t they go up to him and advise ?? So if a captain has a poor season the whole team has an excuse to collectively collapse as well ?? ?? And in this team a lot of plans are made in the Team room," he further said.
Mumbai Indians are now eighth in the 10-team points table with five defeats and two wins. They need to turn things around quickly.
Tilak Varma has been MI’s top run-scorer this season with 181 runs, showing how much the batting unit has struggled. India captain Suryakumar Yadav has scored 157 runs so far.
The bowling has also not gone well. Lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah has taken only two wickets in seven matches.
Q&A
Why did Robin Singh defend Hardik Pandya after the MI loss?
Robin Singh defended Hardik Pandya, stating that the captain should not be blamed alone for the team's poor performance against CSK.
What was the outcome of the MI vs CSK match in IPL 2026?
Mumbai Indians lost to Chennai Super Kings by 103 runs, with CSK scoring 207/6 and MI collapsing to a total of just 104 runs.
Who were the standout performers in the MI vs CSK match?
Sanju Samson was the standout performer for CSK, scoring an unbeaten 101 runs, while MI's top scorers were Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma with 36 and 37 runs, respectively.
