Before deciding on Hardik Pandya, Mumbai Indians want to fix dressing room leak issue
It’s a messy situation at Wankhede Stadium. The Mumbai Indians’ (MI) disappointing IPL 2026 campaign has left the franchise with plenty of questions to answer. But before discussions on Hardik Pandya’s captaincy or the futures of senior players begin, the five-time champions have reportedly identified another major issue they want to address first, dressing room leaks.
According to a report by TimesofIndia.com, Mumbai Indians are frustrated by the steady flow of internal information finding its way into the public domain. Sources suggest that concerns over dressing room confidentiality have become serious enough for the franchise to prioritise the matter ahead of wider reviews of the season.
The development comes after another forgettable year for MI, who finished ninth on the points table with just four wins from 14 matches.
Most matches lost in IPL since 2024
| Team | Matches | Won | Lost | W/LRatio | Run Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mumbai Indians | 44 | 17 | 27 | 0.629 | 9.58 |
| Chennai Super Kings | 42 | 17 | 25 | 0.680 | 9.13 |
| Lucknow Super Giants | 42 | 17 | 24 | 0.708 | 9.40 |
| Punjab Kings | 45 | 22 | 21 | 1.047 | 9.97 |
| Rajasthan Royals | 45 | 22 | 21 | 1.047 | 9.71 |
Dressing room divisions continue to worry Mumbai Indians
The report claims that tensions inside the Mumbai Indians dressing room are not new and have persisted since Hardik Pandya replaced Rohit Sharma as captain ahead of IPL 2024. All would remember how ungraciously the MI fans welcomed Pandya when he was traded from the Gujarat Titans (GT). It’s believed that Rohit wasn’t pleased with his removal as skipper ahead of the IPL 2024.
Some tensions would’ve definitely flared up then. While there have been continuous reports of MI being divided into two groups, now it is believed that the MI camp has had cracking problems ever since Pandya returned. Mind you, these all are reports.
“Differences exist in almost every dressing room, but the division and bitterness at Mumbai Indians have been unusually high since Hardik returned,” a source tracking developments told TOI. “It doesn’t take an expert to see what’s happening, but for a franchise like Mumbai Indians, which has always valued its core group, the constant leaks are a major concern.”
According to the report, information from team meetings, strategic discussions and internal conversations has surfaced outside the dressing room over the last three seasons.
The franchise is now understood to be exploring measures similar to the “emoji episode” fallout from 2024, when social media activity from players fuelled speculation about divisions within the squad after Hardik’s appointment as captain.
“Whether it’s the visible divide in the dressing room, body language on the field, or the way they play, the issues are obvious. If players think they can take MI for a ride, they need to rethink that. The priorities clearly aren’t right. Players are taking too long to return to action, and everyone just seems to be marking attendance.”
Hardik Pandya’s captaincy record for Mumbai Indians
| Matches | Won | Lost | Win % | Loss % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39 | 15 | 24 | 38.46% | 61.53% |
Hardik Pandya’s future remains unresolved
The latest dressing room report comes just a day after conflicting reports emerged regarding Hardik Pandya’s future as captain.
One report suggested Mumbai Indians were considering removing Hardik from the leadership role after another disappointing season. However, another report claimed no formal discussions have even taken place yet. Sources close to the franchise told RevSportz that Mumbai Indians are yet to conduct their end-of-season review and that major decisions will only be discussed in the coming weeks.
However, if the tensions in the air is to be believed, fans should accept that Pandya’s time at MI is over. After three unsuccesful years, MI need a major rejig and the whip starts from the captain itself.
That’s the harsh reality that Pandya hasn’t done any magic for MI ever since he returned in 2024. While his performances for India have been superb, playing a key part in two T20 World Cups and an ODI Champions Trophy, Pandya has been just alright for MI.
In three seasons, Pandya didn’t hit a single half-century. You may say that a finisher shouldn’t be judged on the basis of highest scores, but the fact that Pandya’s strike rate of 147.8 ranks 50th among batters with at least 200 balls faced since 2024, says a lot about what has gone wrong.
His bowling has seen him take 29 wickets but has come at an expensive economy rate of 10.5. That is worrisome when you compare that Pandya’s on-field decisions have come with a fair share of criticism as well. Bowling changes haven’t been on point. Under him, MI’s batting order has shuffled multiple times. Tilak Varma’s best entry point is still unkown, while it is also true that senior players have let Pandya down as well.
The post Before deciding on Hardik Pandya, Mumbai Indians want to fix dressing room leak issue appeared first on Inside Sport India.
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