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IPL 2026: Mumbai Indians have not been at their best in IPL 2026. The Hardik Pandya-led side encountered difficulties this season and only secured their 3rd IPL 2026 win against Lucknow Super Giants on Monday. They still can qualify for the IPL playoffs, but the road looks pretty bumpy as things stand.

Will Mumbai Indians Sack Hardik Pandya?

The five-time champions retained their core part ahead of the IPL 2026 auction and sharpened their squad with the acquisition of the likes of Quinton de Kock at the auction. But they haven't really managed to replicate their last season's performance this season and are currently languishing in 9th place with just 6 points in their kitty.

With their playoff hopes hanging over a thread, Hardik Pandya's leadership has faced a lot of scrutiny. The MI captain missed out on the LSG game due to a spasm, but his own performance also hasn't hit the desired level. There have been concerns over his captaincy acumen, but now it has emerged that MI have complete belief in the all-rounder and don't want to rush to a decision.

As per an Indian Express report, MI believe that the current situation is due to their inability to adapt to the evolving gameplay, not for Hardik's captaincy. An excerpt from the report read, “The franchise management continues to back Pandya and does not see the team’s struggles as a reflection of his leadership. Instead, they believe MI have been slow to adapt to the evolving style of play in the tournament.”

Mumbai Indians Thrashed Lucknow Super Giants

Coming to the game, an excellent half-century from Nicholas Pooran and two excellent innings from Mitchell Marsh and Himmat Singh helped LSG to register a mammoth 228 runs on the board. But Mumbai had other plans. A fierce Rohit Sharma took on the Lucknow bowlers and brought up his 49th IPL fifty. He smashed 6 fours and 7 sixes on his way to a valiant 84 while Rickelton too came up with a clutch 83 off 32 balls to provide Mumbai with a solid momentum.