Inside MI Dressing Room: Tilak Varma Exposes Suryakumar vs Hardik Leadership Styles

Tilak Varma compares Suryakumar Yadav to Hardik Pandya [Source: AFP]

Mumbai Indians won their last game against Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026 season after Tilak Varma hit a blazing century. After his knock, he spilled beans on how Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya differ in terms of captaincy.

Varma plays under Suryakumar in India’s T20I team, while Hardik is his captain in the Mumbai Indians. For him, both carry individual styles which are opposite in nature.

Tilak Varma rates Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya’s captaincy

Ahead of the Mumbai Indians’ upcoming game against CSK, Tilak Varma attended the pre-match press conference. 

According to him, Suryakumar Yadav is a tactically driven captain, someone who thrives on reading the game, planning ahead, and making calculated decisions. 

“To be honest, Surya was a bit tactical. And Hardik bhai, he always backs the players and himself. If you see the last game, he was saying that ‘you will do it, you will do it and show it’. So he keeps motivating the players. Hardik bhai’s captaincy is kind of that energy,” Varma said.

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Hardik Pandya, on the other hand, brings a completely different energy. Tilak described him as a motivational leader, someone who constantly backs his players and lifts the dressing room atmosphere. 

“Whether it’s field placements or bowling changes, Surya’s leadership is rooted in strategy and awareness. And Surya bhai is more into the tactical side. So both are good in their aspects, and I am enjoying Surya bhai’s captaincy, and I am enjoying Hardik bhai’s captaincy as well,” he added.

Tilak Varma backs Suryakumar amid bad form

Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav has been struggling with form in this IPL 2026 season. He struggled badly during the T20 World Cup, and his poor form extended into the IPL as well.

However, Tilak Varma feels Suryakumar needs just one inning to recover and make an impact. 

“I would not say that Surya is out of form. He is batting well. If you see, whatever shots he is hitting in the match, they are coming right from the middle of the bat, and it doesn’t look like he is out of touch. The batting is going well. Sometimes you get a good ball, and sometimes you have to take a chance. If you see, I think against RCB he hit a sweep, so that was his shot,” Varma said.

Mumbai Indians to clash with arch-rivals

In the crucial matchup, the Mumbai Indians are set to face arch-rivals CSK on April 23 at the Wankhede Stadium. After struggling in the first half, both teams got back to winning ways recently.

With 2 wins, MI and CSK are 7th and 8th, respectively, in the points table. Since the stakes are already high, fans can expect the rivalry to peak on Thursday.

For MI, Will Jacks is back in the squad after a brief break. However, CSK dealt a huge blow as Ayush Mhatre has been ruled out of the entire tournament with a hamstring injury.

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