India, April 24 -- Hardik Pandya just can't deliver at Mumbai Indians. He may be a fantastic player, but he doesn't give much confidence as a captain. After their fifth defeat in seven games - a crushing loss to Chennai Super Kings on Thursday night - it will now take a minor miracle for them to reach the play-offs. The 103-run loss was their biggest by runs in IPL history. Chasing 208 to win, they were bowled out for just 104.

Before we dissect what's the matter with Pandya, we will do well to remember that it was Pandya who had captained Gujarat Titans to the IPL trophy in their debut season in 2022. The next year, he again took them to the final.

But ever since joining Mumbai Indians ahead of 2024, he has been a pale imitation of his...