3 min readApr 21, 2026 12:55 PM IST
Former India off-spinner R Ashwin has backed Hardik Pandya to come good with the bat sooner rather than later after leading Mumbai Indians to a thumping 99-run win over Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on Monday.
The 39-year-old felt that Pandya was in search of a win as captain after MI had lost four matches in a row and the win over GT would help him regain confidence with the bat as well.
“Remember that Hardik Pandya is yet to open up with the bat. He will also start opening up with the bat. It is just a matter of one innings. If he gets a good hit in one innings, it will be very difficult to stop this team. If this team starts firing, it will become very difficult to stop them.”
“Hardik Pandya was not getting the win as captain, and there was pressure on him, and that pressure comes into your batting as well. With this win, chances are high that Hardik Pandya will find his mojo with the bat,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
Pandya has scored 96 runs in five matches so far and also missed his team’s IPL 2026 match against Delhi Capitals earlier in the month. He made 15 runs and took 1/18 with the ball against GT on Monday.
The 106-Test veteran also felt that MI should consider opening the batting with Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock in the forthcoming games once the former is fully fit.
“This win was important for MI, and also important for the IPL. See, they have a good team, and the way MI were losing with this team, they would have been really upset about it. When you have Quinton de Kock, you have to continue with him even after Rohit Sharma comes in. I agree Rickelton is a very good player, but de Kock is de Kock. That is the absolute bottom line. Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock will form a very strong opening combination,” he added.
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MI are in seventh place on the points table after the win on Monday and next take on eighth-place Chennai Super Kings at home on Thursday. They have won only one out of their last five IPL clashes between the two sides.
