Former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull has suggested that Hardik Pandya should not be singled out for Mumbai Indians' struggles in IPL 2026, instead
pointing to deeper leadership and dressing room dynamics within the franchise.
Mumbai Indians slumped to their sixth defeat of the season after failing to defend a massive total against Sunrisers Hyderabad, raising fresh concerns about the team's balance and decision-making.
Despite a sensational unbeaten 123 off 55 balls from Ryan Rickelton powering MI to 243/5, the total proved insufficient as SRH chased down the target comfortably with six wickets in hand.
Mumbai Indians' struggles continue despite big individual performances
Mumbai Indians appeared in control after Rickelton's explosive innings, which included 10 fours and eight sixes at a strike rate above 220.
However, their bowling unit once again failed to deliver under pressure. Jasprit Bumrah endured another difficult outing, conceding 54 runs in his four overs without taking a wicket. Senior batters also struggled to contribute, with Suryakumar Yadav scoring just five runs and Tilak Varma managing only seven.
Sunrisers Hyderabad capitalised on the opportunity, with Travis Head scoring 76 and Heinrich Klaasen finishing unbeaten on 65 to seal the chase.
The defeat further exposed Mumbai Indians' recurring issues - an inability to close out games and a lack of collective consistency across departments.
Simon Doull says blame cannot rest solely on Hardik Pandya
Speaking after the match, Doull stressed that criticism should extend beyond the captain and include team leadership and management decisions.
"I think the fingers will point to everyone. It starts with the team from a performance point of view. Then it goes to leadership, then upstairs. From an auction point of view, I think they got it right. It looked like a great team on paper. One year is a blip, two years is a concern, three years, that's pretty bad. That's time for change," he said.
Doull also highlighted that the decision to appoint Hardik Pandya as captain ultimately came from the franchise leadership, meaning accountability should not rest solely on the player.
'Full of alphas': Doull highlights dressing room challenges
Doull described Mumbai Indians' dressing room as a complex environment filled with strong personalities and multiple leaders, which could make team management more difficult during challenging phases.
"When they were in their pomp before the new teams came in, it was like a pride of lions, and Hardik was a cub. He was a cub that played a role in the pride of lions. He went away, did a great job at GT with a very new franchise, a franchise that he could kind of own and control. He came back and basically tried to fight the king of the pride for the reigning job, the king's job and it hasn't worked. It just has not worked and so there's got to be some accountability from the very top because the very top made that decision. "
He further explained that multiple senior players with captaincy experience could create pressure within the group, particularly when results are not going the team's way.
"Now in that dressing room, in that environment, you've got four blokes who can all be the king. You have four guys who have all captained their country at different stages. So it's a very difficult room, it's full of alphas. It's a difficult room if things aren't going well. "
Doull calls for accountability from franchise leadership
Doull concluded by stating that responsibility for Mumbai Indians' recent decline should extend to those managing the team at the highest level.
"The ownership, director of cricket, and manager have got to take the responsibility for what has happened in the last three years", he further added.
With Mumbai Indians now struggling near the bottom of the table, questions around leadership structure, dressing room balance, and long-term planning are likely to intensify as IPL 2026 progresses.
