'Has created a little bit of turmoil,': Smith boldly critiques Hardik Pandya & MI after poor IPL run

In a thrilling match between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium, KKR emerged victorious by 24 runs. Batting first, KKR set a target of 169 runs in 19.5 overs, with Venkatesh Iyer shining with a stellar innings of 70 runs off 52 balls. In response, MI could only manage 145 runs in 18.5 overs, despite Suryakumar Yadav's valiant 56 off 35 balls. Jasprit Bumrah stood out for MI with figures of 3/18 in 3.5 overs. KKR's Nuwan Thushara and Varun Chakaravarthy also made significant contributions with 3/42 and 2/22 respectively. In addition, Mitchell Starc's exceptional bowling performance of 4/33 in 3.5 overs played a crucial role in keeping the pressure on Mumbai Indians during their chase against Kolkata Knight Riders.

Also Read: HEARTBROKEN Hardik Pandya reacts after MI loses to KKR after 11 years

Graeme Smith is not satisfied with Hardik Pandya and Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2024

Graeme Smith, a former captain of South Africa, was blunt in his assessment of the Mumbai Indians (MI) after their Friday, May 3, loss to the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). After this defeat, MI is in danger of being eliminated from the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2024.

At the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, KKR defeated MI by 24 runs. This was a historic victory for them as it was their first over MI in Mumbai since 2012. Before this match, MI had a commanding 9-1 record versus KKR in their legendary stadium, but the Knight Riders put on a terrific show and won.

Smith criticised MI in a direct and harsh manner when speaking on Jio Cinema, calling them a "confused unit." Smith hinted that there may be unrest in MI's locker room, which might be related to a number of problems that the club has been dealing with from the start of the season.

There have been discussions around the choice to make Hardik Pandya the team's captain instead of Rohit Sharma, and Smith made a suggestion that this move may have added to the team's perplexity. During the game, he said, the squad as a whole seemed confused on the field. Graeme Smith said: 

"Hardik has really struggled. He's looked a man under pressure that obviously has created a little bit of turmoil in the environment and who knows how it's affected people. But even their batting lineup, it just looked like they were confused. You know, I think Tilak Varma, Wadhera floating in the middle order. Naman Dhir batting at three tonight they are moving all over the place. They should have had, Tilak at 3, SKY at 4 and Hardik at 5 through the season, David at 6 and then figure out your bowling unit," 

"They just been a very confused team this year. It's been hugely disappointing from one of the mega franchises in this year's IPL. And, you know, a lot of people will be very, very sore tonight - MI fan base and MI camp," 

"With three games to go in a bigger auction next year, do they need to figure out their squad? Do they need to see some players to say okay, we're gonna release this player. You know like Dewald Brevis has been in the squad now for years, hasn't really got a consistent opportunity or taking his opportunity, either. So you know, there is probably some decisions that need to be made by the leadership group for next year,"