Former Mumbai Indians' star pacer Mitchell McClenaghan has pointed out a big technical vulnerability in Hardik Pandya’s batting, claiming that Chennai Super Kings seamer Jamie Overton has provided a blueprint for other teams to follow. These observations come at a critical juncture for the Mumbai Indians captain as he prepares his side for a high-stakes encounter against the Lucknow Super Giants at Wankhede Stadium.
Mitchell McClenaghan on Hardik Pandya's weakness
McClenaghan's critique follows a sluggish performance by Pandya during the recent "El Clasico" against CSK at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Struggling to find his rhythm, the MI skipper managed only 18 runs from 23 deliveries, finding the boundary just twice before falling to Anshul Kamboj. This stagnant middle-order performance contributed to MI posting a modest 159/7, a target the Super Kings comfortably overhauled with nearly two overs to spare.
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Analyzing the dismissal on Star Sports' "Game Plan," McClenaghan noted that Pandya appeared particularly uncomfortable against hard-length deliveries directed outside the off-stump. He observed that the captain's tendency to try and muscle those specific balls straight down the ground was limiting his effectiveness. To counter this, the former Kiwi bowler advised Pandya to incorporate more horizontal-bat shots, like the uppercut, to exploit different scoring areas and bypass the trap set by opposing seamers.
“Hardik Pandya has been struggling. And I think he (Jamie Overton) exposed a weakness in Hardik Pandya, that hard length outside the off stump, and Hardik just looked to muscle the ball maybe a little bit too much. And I think back to when I was playing with Hardik Pandya, he had that uppercut shot he used quite regularly and he could hit over point. And it's probably just him going back to what he used to play instead of just trying to look down the ground into mid-wicket," McClenaghan said.
McClenaghan issued a stern warning to MI captain, noting that his upcoming opponents possess the exact firepower needed to exploit this newly identified weakness. He highlighted that the Lucknow Super Giants' pace battery, which features high-velocity bowlers like Mohammed Shami, Mayank Yadav, and Anrich Nortje, is perfectly equipped to target that uncomfortable hard length with extra zip.
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According to McClenaghan, the sheer pace of the LSG attack will leave Hardik Pandya with very little margin for error. He emphasized that unless Pandya develops a quick and effective counter-strategy to handle these deliveries outside off-stump, the Super Giants' seamers will likely use the same blueprint to keep him under pressure throughout the match.
“It's actually opening up the whole ground and using the pace of the delivery as well because I think, particularly with this lineup that they've got, they've got high pace throughout their attack and LSG will be trying to expose that weakness that Jamie Overton found, and he's going to have to find a way to combat that,” he further stated.
Hardik Pandya's struggles in IPL 2026
The current tournament has been a significant struggle for Hardik Pandya, who has failed to find his usual rhythm with the bat. The 32-year-old all-rounder has been uncharacteristically quiet in the middle order, managing to accumulate only 146 runs across eight innings. His statistical output reflects these challenges, with his average hovering at a modest 20.85 and a strike rate of 136.44, figures that fall well below his high standards for impact and consistency. Furthermore, his inability to convert starts into match-winning scores is highlighted by a tournament-high of just 40, leaving his side searching for the explosive finishes he is typically known for.