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Hardik Pandya Sacked or Dropped MI Coach Mahela Jayawardena Hits Back at Bench Politics
Sports
Published on 11 May 2026
Mahela Jayawardena says benching top stars is not politics
Hardik Pandya’s IPL 2026 status has sparked controversy after MI’s loss to RCB, with fans unsure whether he was benched, sacked as captain, or sidelined by injury. While the franchise has offered little clarity, coach Mahela Jayawardena directly addressed claims of “politics” behind the decision involving other top Indian players.
- Hardik Pandya’s role at MI is still unclear after RCB loss
- Questions swirl over whether he was dropped or removed as captain
- Mahela Jayawardena responds to claims of “politics” in team selection
- Fans point to a lack of official clarification from MI
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This summarization was done by Beige for a story published on 
Republic