MI has only two wins from nine games in IPL 2026.
Pundits have questioned Hardik's captaincy, while fans have reported considerable dissatisfaction within the group. During MI's loss to PBKS, Jasprit Bumrah appeared dissatisfied with the MI captain's decisions and expressed his anger on the field.
Tiwary stated that MI's campaign is officially ended and that there appears to be something fundamentally wrong with the team.
"For me, it certainly is over; in fact, for me, it was over a long time ago. As you know, whenever we sit down for a discussion, we speak quite openly and frankly with one another. I base my observations and comments strictly on what is visible in the field. And, in my opinion—judging by the brand of cricket we’ve witnessed—it appears that something is fundamentally amiss," said Tiwary on Cricbuzz.
Tiwary also talked about Hardik Pandya’s captaincy for MI and said that he has lost the confidence of every player in the dressing room. Hardik hasn't lived up to the hype of being the MI captain, and he blames the rest of the squad for failing to step up this season.
"Look, a captain is supposed to win the confidence of every single player in the squad; you have to step up and be a true leader. Right? However, upon observing the situation, it seems that no one is truly standing by Hardik. It feels like no one is rallying behind him; the kind of support he ought to be receiving simply isn't materializing.
Yes, the captain certainly has a specific role to play—and perhaps he isn't fulfilling that role as effectively as he could be. From my perspective, he isn't quite living up to the task. But beyond that, the players themselves need to shoulder their share of the responsibility," said Tiwary.
He also gave examples of Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma, who remained inconsistent throughout the campaign.
"Take Suryakumar, for instance: he hasn't been delivering performances on a consistent, match-to-match basis. Similarly, Tilak had one standout match, but he hasn't been scoring runs since then. If this kind of inconsistency persists among the rest of the squad, how can you possibly expect to achieve positive results? It is, quite frankly, deeply disappointing," said Tiwary.
Coming to the rivalry between CSK and MI, the yellow army has now won six out of the last seven matches against MI. Tiwary said that the rivalry has become one-sided in recent times and should be stripped of the El Clásico title.
"You know how we always talk about this fixture being the "El Clásico" of the IPL? Well, you can go ahead and strip it of that title now, because it has become a completely one-sided affair. In their last seven head-to-head encounters, Chennai Super Kings have emerged victorious six times. So, it would be inaccurate to claim that this rivalry still retains its "El Clásico" status," said Tiwary.
MI will next face LSG at home in their next game on Monday, May 4.