Hardik Pandya has earned a reputation as India's "Clutch God" in T20 cricket, delivering under pressure with both bat and ball for the national team. But when he dons the Mumbai Indians jersey, that clutch factor seems to vanish—and Sunday's record-breaking loss to Chennai Super Kings only reignited the debate.
With Sanju Samson smashing 85 off 48 balls and CSK running away with the game at Wankhede, MI captain Hardik had two overs left in his own bowling arsenal. Instead of stepping up, he tossed the ball to Krish Bhagat—playing just his second IPL game. The youngster conceded 16 runs, and MI slumped to a historic 103-run defeat, the biggest in IPL history by runs. Head coach Mahela Jayawardene later called it a chance for Bhagat "to step up," but the decision left fans scratching their heads.
The numbers tell a stark story. Since the start of 2024, Hardik has bowled 60 balls at the death (overs 16-20) for India in T20Is, taking five wickets at an economy of just 9.7. In this IPL season, he's bowled only three death overs across seven innings, leaking runs at 15.7 an over with just one wicket. For India, he's the crisis manager—the man trusted to bowl the final over of the 2024 T20 World Cup final against South Africa at Kensington Oval, or the 19th over of the 2026 semi-final against England at Wankhede. For MI, that same trust evaporates.
The contrast extends beyond the death overs. In the powerplay (overs 1-6) since 2024, Hardik has bowled 108 balls for MI, conceding 219 runs at an economy of 12.17 with three wickets. For India in the same phase, he's bowled 290 balls across 31 innings, conceding 394 runs at an economy of 8.15 with 10 wickets—a difference of nearly four runs per over.
Hardik Pandya in blue and gold has become a puzzle. For India, he's everywhere—the go-to man in crunch moments. For Mumbai Indians, since his return from Gujarat Titans in 2024, he's been nowhere to be found when it matters most. As MI struggles to find its rhythm this season, the question lingers: where has the Clutch God gone?